


Happily Ever After

by Imadra Blue (imadra_blue), imadra_blue, Luthe



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Kid Fic, Kidnapping, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-30
Updated: 2012-10-31
Packaged: 2017-11-17 10:31:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/550606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imadra_blue/pseuds/Imadra%20Blue, https://archiveofourown.org/users/imadra_blue/pseuds/imadra_blue, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luthe/pseuds/Luthe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When his children run away to save the galaxy from endless war on their own, Anakin Skywalker must embark on a journey across the galaxy to bring Luke and Leia home -- a journey that partners him again with his old Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and leads them into a relationship neither expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://slashromance.livejournal.com/profile)[**slashromance**](http://slashromance.livejournal.com/). **Romance Novel Assigned:** ["The Sword of MacLeod" by Karen Fox](http://www.karenafox.com/sword.htm)  
>  As a romance novella, we do use some of the conventions of the genre. It also contains a few "fairy tale" elements. This was beta'd by the wonderful and talented [](http://babel.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://babel.livejournal.com/)**babel** , who worked really hard to help us beat the fic into submission. We owe her many thanks and perhaps even our firstborn children.

"Once upon a time, there was a brave Knight and a beautiful Queen. The Knight loved the Queen very much, and after many adventures together, the Queen began to love the Knight back. They were married, and they were very happy together. The Knight stopped going on adventures so he could be with the Queen, and the Queen had two beautiful children.

"One day, the wise Chancellor asked the Knight if he would return to adventuring. The Knight replied, no, he was very happy with his wife and children. A few months later, the Chancellor asked again. And again the Knight said no, he was very happy with his wife and children.

"More time passed. The Chancellor visited the Knight and his Queen, and asked once more if the Knight would return to adventuring. Again, the Knight refused. And then the Chancellor revealed himself to be not the wise and kind Chancellor the Knight thought was his friend, but a dark and terrible Sith Lord. And he told the Knight that he must do as the Chancellor said, or he would harm the Knight's wife and children.

"The Knight was very angry. He drew his sword and attacked the Sith Lord. But the Sith Lord was clever and difficult to defeat. The Knight killed him, but not before the Sith Lord had injured the Queen. The Knight did everything he could to save the Queen's life, but she died.

"The Knight was very sad. He had lived for his beautiful Queen, and now she was dead. What did he have left to live for? He wanted to die.

"Then his children came to him. Father, they said, we love you and we need you. Help us. And the Knight realized that he had his children, even if he no longer had his Queen. And he loved his children, and helped them, and they loved him, and helped him. And they lived happily ever after."

"But Daddy," said Leia, dark eyes wide as she stared at Anakin. "It isn't happily ever after. If it was happily ever after, there wouldn't be soldiers walking around in the streets." She had her lips pulled into a pout, as serious as any adult.

"Yeah," Luke agreed. He was always quieter than Leia and prone to following her lead.

Anakin smiled sadly at Luke and Leia, nestled safe in their beds. The story of the Knight and the Queen was their favorite bed-time story, though it reminded him of the loss of his beloved Padmé. If it hadn't been for Luke and Leia, he would have killed himself. They were his life now.

"We're happy, and that's what matters. The war isn't our fight. Besides," Anakin said, wrapping Leia in her blankets, "nothing is ever going to hurt us ever again. I promise."

"But what if the Separatists come to Naboo?" Leia was every bit as stubborn as her mother, if not more so. The eerie similarity of their appearance made Anakin's heart ache. "They're in the Mid Rim, Daddy! I saw it on the HoloNet! General Kenobi was talking about it!"

"General Kenobi will stop them," Anakin said, harsher than he intended. "There's nothing to fear."

"Why don't you help them, Daddy?" asked Luke, his voice quiet, but there was something in it that drew both Anakin's and Leia's attention. He was sitting up in his bed, scratching at his belly. "You killed the Chancellor when he killed Mommy." There was no particular sadness in his voice – he couldn't remember Padmé very well, unlike Leia, who had an uncanny memory.

"Palpatine was trying to hurt us," Anakin explained. "The Separatists haven't done anything to us. Besides, I'm not a Jedi any more."

Luke lay back down, nodding at Anakin, his blue eyes sparkling in the rotating nursery light. Padmé had always said Luke looked like Anakin, but he didn't see it. Luke was too beautiful to look like him.

"General Kenobi's better, anyway," said Leia. She frowned at Anakin. "He's a real hero. He'll save the galaxy."

With that, she rolled over on her small bed, pulling her pink blankets around herself. Anakin spent a moment trying to breathe, trying not to let his daughter's words sting. Let Obi-Wan save the galaxy. It wasn't Anakin's problem.

Anakin leaned down and placed a kiss on Leia's cheek. He spent considerably more time tucking Luke in before leaving the room.

When he glanced back, Anakin saw Leia staring at him reproachfully. It was the same way Obi-Wan had looked when he'd seen Anakin and Padmé holding hands on the way home from Geonosis. It hurt to think about that, so Anakin let the door slide shut behind him, desperately wishing Padmé was there to tell him everything would be all right.

Anakin headed down the hall to his quiet bedroom, hoping the sleeping pill would let him sleep that night. After he settled in bed, he let the holoviewer play the holos he'd made of Padmé and the twins before she'd died.

 

 

 

 

 

The nursery was a large, brightly painted room. Interesting shapes and legendary Naboo animals were everywhere. Two walls had huge windows, with beautiful white lace curtains that Luke hated, but Leia thought were quite beautiful. Though her mother had died when she was only two, Leia thought the nursery reminded her of Padmé Skywalker -- beautiful, but sad.

The beauty in the room was obvious, but the sadness was in every curve of the colorful shapes on the walls, in the sag of the stuffed toys lining the wooden shelves. The sadness was in the flutter of curtains in the warm, summer breeze, and the glimpse of cloudless blue skies through the open windows. It was in Luke, playing with his models of spaceships that he'd built himself. It was in Leia, when she played with her dolls, pretending one of them was her mother. Most of all, it was in Daddy, who walked around looking as if someone had turned off his feelings, like some sort of machine.

The holoplayer was set only to the children's channels, but Luke had broken the restrictions, and it played the news. Leia liked to hear about what was happening out in the galaxy. She knew the sadness was out there, too, where all the planets were being overrun by Separatists. Reports of the devious General Grievous and the wicked Count Dooku rolled in every day, showing smoking cities and charred bodies left behind by their battle droid armies. She'd be utterly terrified if it weren't for the reports of the Jedi Order's heroics, particularly General Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Leia liked his face, straight and clean, even though he had a beard. She liked his blue-gray-green eyes, so clear and intense. She liked his voice; it sounded like a singer's voice. She liked the way he spoke, the way he didn't give up, not even when the Republic lost another planet. She even liked his hair, that when he stood in different lights, it took on a different color. Daddy said she was too young to understand about war, but he was wrong. She understood war all too well. She could feel it.

General Kenobi was not on today. Instead, they were talking about the planet Hydaria's withdrawal from the Republic, another Mid Rim planet willingly joining the Confederacy of Separatists. Leia sighed, glancing away from the holoscreen.

Luke was playing with his model ships, acting out one of the space battles between the Separatists and the Republic. A Jedi fighter was closing on a droid ship, complete with narration and sound effects.

"I'm gonna get you, you nasty 'droid! _Fwoosh_!"

Leia went to sit beside Luke. She picked up one of their tutorial datapads, full of children's stories. Luke had grown bored with it weeks ago, and broke through all those restrictions, too. He'd accessed all sorts of files on the HoloNet, even Daddy's private files. She idly flipped through the screens, finding Daddy's numerous collections of pictures of Mommy boring -- she'd seen all these before.

"Aren't you tired of _pretending_ you're a Jedi yet, Luke?" she asked when Luke started tossing his droid ships around as the Jedi starfighter barreled through them.

"Not pretending," Luke said. "I'm gonna be the best Jedi ever when I grow up." His starfighter began to attack the Separatist flagship.

"But we _can't_ be Jedi." Leia said _we_ , because a future without her brother was unthinkable. Daddy had once tried to give them each their own bedrooms, but both had cried until he'd expanded the nursery for them. Luke was her twin. They'd always be together. "Daddy won't let us, and we're already too old."

Luke frowned. "Can too! We're not too old. We're only little kids. Jedi are grown-ups."

"Jedi only take younglings under the age of three, stupid. See, look." Leia quickly scrolled through Daddy's files. He had lots of Jedi files, since he'd been one. She found one talking about the Code, about the rules of becoming a Jedi, and thrust it under Luke's nose. Their tutor droid had made sure they'd been able to read last year. "Look, see? Right there! You have to be under three. And we're six." She read further, where it spoke of an exception, and paused. "Unless you're the Chosen One. He was nine. What's a Chosen One?"

"I dunno," Luke said, looking miffed. "But maybe they'll let us in if we ask real nice. It works on Grandma."

Leia started to do a search on Daddy's files, curious about this 'Chosen One'. He sounded special. "I don't think Jedi are like Grandma. Haven't you seen General Windu? I'll bet he eats the bad younglings. For breakfast."

Luke shuddered. "He's scary. But General Ti is nice. And Master Yoda is tiny like us. I bet he doesn't eat younglings for breakfast."

"General Kenobi is the best Jedi. I'd bet he'd like us. We could move in with him, and he'd teach us how to use lightsabers! He'd be more fun than Daddy."

"Daddy's lots of fun!" Luke protested. "He promised to teach me how to fly the speeder for our birthday. You probably want something _girly_ , like a _dress_."

The search completed, finding an ancient file in Daddy's storage folders. It seemed like some sort of report or journal entry by someone named Qui-Gon Jinn, a Jedi Master.

"I have lots of dresses," said Leia vaguely, staring at the journal entry in fascination. "Asides, I'm gonna be a Senator like Mommy."

Leia didn't understand all of what Qui-Gon Jinn said, but was able to make out most of it.

> _The prophecy of the Chosen One is as ancient as any, perhaps more so. It was written in an elder tongue, forgotten to all but a few Jedi Masters like myself. To describe it in Basic does it an injustice. Basic cannot convey the unparalleled beauty of this tongue, but the story must be told._
> 
> It tells of a time when darkness will threaten the galaxy. A Vergence in the Force would appear, centered around a human being. This Vergence would only be distinguishable from the rest of humanity by his strength in the Force. He would be the Chosen One, who would save the galaxy and bring balance to the Force. The prophecy does not explain what this means, but since it was written shortly after the first war between Sith and Jedi, it can be inferred that it means the Chosen One would destroy the Sith, once and for all.
> 
> What is disturbing about this prophecy isn't the vagueness of description or the open-ended interpretation. The disturbing part is that it says this Chosen One will be tested, and he will **fail**. It does not say how or why, but his failure will cost many innocent lives. What hope lies in this prophecy is in the end. It says the Chosen One will again be given a choice, and that he will make a **decision**. And that decision, whatever it may be, is the galaxy's only hope of redemption from the darkness he plunged it into...

After that, the report became sketchy, as if written in code or perhaps a language Leia didn't understand. She slapped the side of rectangular datapad, trying to make it work, but the rest of the entry remain corrupted, only snatches of information.

> _I believe I've found a Vergence in the Force...._
> 
> ... at nine years of age, he is both too old and too young...
> 
> ... has no father. His mother gave permission...
> 
> ... but the Council will not listen. They are refusing to train him....
> 
> ... even my own apprentice doubts my faith in this matter, but faith has never been his strength....
> 
> ... to be returned to his mother, a slave on Tatooine....
> 
> ... He **is** the Chosen One. Why can't they believe that?

"Leia?" Luke asked. "What's wrong?"

Leia looked up at him, her mind whirling with possibilities. "Oh, Luke. They turned him away. They turned the Chosen One away." She grabbed him by the shoulders, filled with energy and excitement, her stomach doing flip-flops. " _We_ could find him, Luke. We could find him and take him off Tatooine and bring him to General Kenobi, so he can save the galaxy!"

"How would we get to Tatooine? And why would General Kenobi listen to us?"

"We could take a ship! At the starport in Theed. We could take Daddy's speeder, and then get one of the ships. I know where Daddy keeps all his credits, and you can fly. You're a great pilot!" Leia was not above using flattery to convince her twin to do what she wanted. "And... and... General Kenobi will listen when we bring him the Chosen One! He's a smart Jedi. He's the Negotiator. He could show the Chosen One what to do, and then he'd save the galaxy, and we'll have fixed _everything_!"

"I dunno," Luke said, sounding nervous. "Won't Daddy be mad if we leave without saying goodbye?"

"We'll leave him a note. We'll come back, and he'll be so happy and proud. And he won't even have to leave, so he can stay here and stare at Mommy's holopictures like he always does."

"He does other things!" Luke said. "He plays with us. But I guess if we left, he could have more time to build us toys."

"Right. And we won't go alone. We'll bring Artoo and Threepio with us! But you'll need to alter their control settings so they let us leave again. Like when we went to the lake to go swimming. Daddy didn't get mad at us then, remember? He even gave us extra dessert for dinner and hugged us for a long time. Think about how many extra chocolate snapcakes you could get when we come back home, Luke!"

"Okay," Luke said. "You go get Artoo and Threepio, and I'll write Daddy a note so he won't be scared." Luke went to get his coloring rods and some flimsiplast.

"All right!" beamed Leia. She knew she was doing something good for others, as Daddy had always taught her she should. She skipped off to go pack the important things, like clothes, candy, and some of her dolls, for her first adventure.

The sadness didn't seem so sad anymore.

 

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 1

Anakin was searching the Mos Eisley marketplace for his missing children, surrounded by beings of all shapes and sizes. The sand stung his eyes, but it was as comfortingly hot as ever. It felt like home, much as Anakin didn't want to admit it. He'd sworn never to return to Tatooine after his mother's death, but he had no choice now. He rounded another corner, following the sense of his children in the Force.

An explosion of bright white light suddenly overwhelmed Anakin's senses. He heard a loud bang and fell back, head swimming, filled with a stabbing fear for his children.

When he awoke, the sense of his children was gone, as was half of a Mos Eisley alleyway. People were screaming in the distance, and black char stained the crumbling white walls in front of him. Panic-stricken, Anakin reached through the Force for Luke and Leia.

They were far away now.

He forced himself to his feet, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs in his vision and the ringing in his ears. He headed toward the center of the blast, hoping to find some clue as to what had happened.

A familiar beeping drew Anakin's attention to the side. On the other side of the crater stood Artoo-Deeto, his blue head swiveling. His body rocked so hard that Anakin thought he'd shake himself to pieces.

"Artoo? What is it?" Anakin leapt over the crater and knelt next to the droid, hoping he'd know where the twins had gone. Artoo and Threepio had disappeared at the same time the twins had, and Anakin suspected they all had been traveling together.

Artoo rocked again, and then his holoprojecter lit up, abruptly showing Count Dooku. Even as a small blue hologram, he looked as dark and imposing as he had the day he'd taken Anakin's right arm. His hologram smiled, and he swept back his cape, seemingly studying Anakin.

"You might have noticed by now that your children are missing, young Skywalker. It was most inconvenient that they stumbled upon me. Really, I'm disappointed in your paternal skills, to let such lovely young Force-sensitive children out into the galaxy alone. I had three Padawans in my tenure as a Jedi, and never once did I let them out of my sight before they became adults."

Anakin's blood ran cold. Dooku had Luke and Leia. His hands clenched into fists as he thought of all the things Dooku could be doing to his children. If Dooku had hurt even one hair on either of their heads, Anakin was going to make him die a slow, painful death.

"Your children are safe for the moment," said Dooku, as if he'd intuited Anakin's silent reaction. "In fact, they are far safer with me than they were on the streets on Mos Eisley. You should be grateful.

"And you children will continue to be safe, provided you stay out of my way, young Skywalker. I'm a reasonable man and more than willing to negotiate their release." Dooku paused, as if for effect, and smiled. "I will contact you within a week through one of my agents with the details of how you may procure your children without them coming to harm."

The transmission ended, and Artoo whistled mournfully.

Anakin didn't believe Dooku for a minute. Even if Luke and Leia were safe, Anakin was sure that Dooku was planning to use them for his own purposes. Anakin would just have to rescue them before Dooku could exploit them too much.

Anakin tried to understand how he'd landed himself in this predicament. After discovering the note his children had left him, he had spent entirely too much for a small, battered ship and left for Tatooine as soon as it was fueled.

"We have to find them, Artoo," Anakin said, standing. He was already making plans.

"Halt! By the power of the Republic, you're under arrest!" boomed a familiar male voice.

Anakin froze as the sound of dozens of blasters clicked in preparation to open fire. He blinked as clone troopers streamed into the alleyway between dusty buildings, their white-helmeted faces gleaming in the afternoon suns. Anakin held up his hands and slowly turned around to confirm his suspicion of who was arresting him, a chill trickling down his spine.

There stood Mace Windu, hands on his hips, dark face thunderous.

"Hello, Master Windu," Anakin said, annoyed. This was exactly what he didn't need. "What are you doing here?"

"That would be my question, Skywalker." Windu's expression was as harsh as a sandstorm. "We've been following Count Dooku to his hide-out here. Know anything about that?" He motioned to a few clone troopers, who started to approach Anakin. One held a pair of durasteel cuffs.

"Only that Dooku's kidnapped my children." Anakin fixed the approaching clone troopers with a ferocious glare. "I was about to go get them."

"Children? Do you have any proof of this?"

"Artoo?" Anakin looked at the little droid, who obediently began to play Dooku's message.

Windu watched the message with a blank expression. When it was over, he waved the clone troopers approaching Anakin off. He caught Anakin's gaze and held it.

"You're not under arrest. But we are taking you to Coruscant. We need to discuss this development in Council."

Anakin's gaze hardened. "I want to look for my children."

Mace scowled. "What do you think we'll be talking about, Skywalker? Or did you really think you could scour the galaxy for Dooku, then storm him all by yourself? I should mention even you get tired eventually."

"I can find them without your help. I can use Artoo."

"An astromech?" Windu looked incredulous. "You certainly haven't grown any smarter in the past seven years. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice. Either way, this affects us as much as it does you."

"None of this concerns you. These are my children. Since when have the Jedi cared about them?"

"Since you sired them. And we can help you get them back."

"I told you, I don't need your help."

Windu looked away. The clone troopers still stood in a circle, but had lowered their weapons. Windu heaved a great sigh, then met Anakin's eye again.

"Perhaps not. But we need yours."

Anakin was surprised to hear Mace Windu admit that he needed Anakin's help. Out of all the Jedi, Master Windu was the one least likely to say such a thing. "Fine. But I want this to be quick. I want my children back."

Windu bowed, then motioned to clone troopers again. "Follow me. We have a ship waiting."

 

 

 

Coruscant had not changed since Anakin had left it seven years ago. Tall buildings pierced the bright blue sky, glass and transparisteel glinting in the morning sun.

There was a peculiar twist in his stomach as Mace Windu led him up the wide, shallow steps of the Jedi Temple. The five spires atop the building not so much pierced the sky as seemed to hold it up. Here, if nowhere else on Coruscant, was a sense of balance and harmony. It had never been Anakin's home, but the Force washed over him like a warm bath, making him feel slightly less on edge as he followed Mace into the vast entranceway.

Before the grand stairs, the green-tinged statue of an ancient, nameless Jedi seemed to glower down at Anakin in disapproval. Perhaps it was his imagination, but the statue seemed to bear a strong resemblance to his former Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi -- a resemblance he'd never noticed before, even though he'd lived in the Jedi Temple for ten years.

Anakin looked away from the statue and quickened his steps. He could feel the eyes of the other Jedi on him now, and hear the whispers as he passed. The faster he and Mace reached the Council Chamber, the sooner he could get out of the Temple and away from all the reminders of his former life. Windu led Anakin into the lift, where he breathed a sigh of relief as it went up.

Anakin didn't say a word on the entire ride up to the Council Chamber. He focused his eyes on the wall in front of him and kept his mind carefully blank. This was a waste of time, but he knew that finding his children alone would be near impossible. He only hoped this was over quickly.

The elevator chimed softly, indicating they had arrived.

Just as silent, Windu stepped out and led Anakin down the short hall that led to the Council room. Anakin remembered it well, unable to shake a sudden memory of trailing behind Qui-Gon's tall form on this very same route. He could almost see a young Obi-Wan walking just behind Qui-Gon, glancing back at him with a frown, blue-gray eyes narrowed in suspicion.

The wide doors slid aside as Windu and Anakin approached with a soft rush of cool air. Inside, the Jedi Council sat in a circle. Three seats were empty, and the rest filled with Jedi Masters, either in physical presence or in blue hologram form. They all stared at Anakin impassively, though he swore he could almost see a flicker of something in their faces. He couldn't tell what it was; it could be anything from disgust to hope.

Mace took his customary seat on Yoda's right. There were new faces on the Council, but none so new to Anakin as Obi-Wan. He sat on Yoda's left, watching Anakin with an expression that could have frozen Mustafar.

Anakin refused to bow to the Council. He was silent at first, waiting for someone to speak. After a moment, he decided to set the tone of the conversation himself. "So? You needed my help?"

Yoda spoke, his ears rising. "To hear your children have been abducted, saddens us it does. Out of control, my old Padawan is. Fear he has grown stronger than ever, we do, since the demise of Darth Sidious."

Anakin stared at Obi-Wan, waiting for him to say something, anything, but he didn't. Instead, he turned to face Yoda. He looked far older than Anakin recalled. A scar marred his right eyebrow, and his auburn hair was long, pulled back in a neat ponytail. He still wore his beard, but it was scraggly and sparse. Anakin turned back to Yoda.

"The only way this concerns me is that he has my children. And I'm going to get them back. What do you want from me?"

Yoda's swamp-green eyes twinkled. "Close to Dooku you will be. Opportunities you will have."

"We can't kill him," said Windu. His brows were drawn together and he glanced at Obi-Wan. "We've come close, but he's too powerful and too well-guarded. And far too clever. We've lost too many Jedi. We're asking for you to help us end this war and kill Count Dooku and General Grievous. We will give you as much help as you need to save your children. But we must end this war, Anakin. It's killing the galaxy. Surely you can feel it?"

"The galaxy isn't my concern. If I do this, it won't be for your war and it won't be for you. I expect to be left alone afterward. I'm in this for my children, nothing more."

Windu leaned forward. "The galaxy _should_ be your concern. Your children are part of it. If you don't kill Dooku, he will keep coming until he has conquered everything -- including them and you. The peace you enjoy on Naboo is tenuous at best. They will suffer, the same as everyone else, if you don't help."

"Put yourself before the galaxy, you cannot always do, young Skywalker. When gone the protections of the galaxy are, alone you will be."

Anakin clenched his jaw. "I didn't say I wouldn't do it. I will do it, but only because Dooku is threatening something I love."

Obi-Wan turned back to stare at him, and his eyes flashed. Then he looked away, turning to Ki-Adi-Mundi.

"Whatever your reasons are, we're grateful for your help, Anakin Skywalker." Ki-Adi-Mundi dipped his conical head in Anakin's direction. "We have limited information on Dooku, but we will offer everything we have. His base of operations is mobile, which is what makes him so difficult to find."

"We will assign two Jedi to assist you, and three battalions of clone troopers under their command," said Windu.

"Thank you," Anakin said, recognizing the magnitude of the help offered. The Jedi were stretched thin, and even clone troopers were hard to come by these days. "I want to leave as soon as possible."

"Of course," said the blue hologram of Master Kit Fisto. "We only need to decide what Jedi should accompany you."

"Two are needed," murmured Yoda, "two Masters -- one for combat and one for healing."

"I will go, with the Council's permission." Anakin turned, surprised to see the graceful Stass Allie speak up. He didn't know her every well, but her healing abilities were legendary. With her exotic features and tentacled Tholoth headdress, she resembled her cousin, Adi Gallia, who had sat on the Council during Anakin's testing. Anakin realized with a start that Gallia did not sit on the Council today -- he vaguely recalled hearing about her death at Grievous's hands a few years ago. Stass sat in her place.

Anakin nodded gratefully to Stass. Hopefully, she would keep her out of his way while he looked for Luke and Leia. The question was, who else was he going to get stuck with? "Is there another volunteer?" Anakin asked.

"Agree to placement of Master Allie, we do," said Windu.

Yoda nodded sleepily, looking around the Council. "For the other Master, an older, more experienced Jedi is needed."

Anakin tensed. He really hoped they weren't going to send Master Windu or Yoda himself with him. That would only make things worse.

"I think Master Kenobi should go," said Ki-Adi-Mundi. "He is the logical choice -- he's been searching for Count Dooku this entire war and knows more about him than any of us."

Obi-Wan did not meet Anakin's eye, nor did any expression pass his face as he was volunteered.

"Concur with this, I do," said Yoda, nodding.

"If there are no objections," said Windu, "Master Allie and Master Kenobi will accompany Skywalker on this hunt for Dooku." He looked around the room, but no one said anything. "Then it is decided. Anakin, Stass and Obi-Wan will debrief you on your situation, and I'll arrange for the battalions. May the Force be with us all."

There was a rustle of cloth, and the Council stood, indicating the meeting was over.

Anakin didn't think anything could be worse than potentially having Master Windu or Yoda with him. He hadn't realized that they would send _Obi-Wan_ with him.

His gut knotted. He hadn't spoken to Obi-Wan since he had sent the holorecording announcing his resignation from the Jedi. Even Palpatine's death had been handled by another Jedi: Yoda.

He turned to find Stass studying him. She misread his apprehension. "Don't worry, Anakin, we'll get your children back."

Obi-Wan stood last of the entire Council, gazing coldly at Anakin. As the other Jedi filed out, he approached. Stass smiled at him, and to Anakin's surprise, her smile seemed nervous.

"I trust your lightsaber is still in working order, my former Padawan?" Obi-Wan asked, the first time he'd spoke to Anakin in seven years. Condescending seemed too weak a word to describe his tone.

"Yes, Master." Old habits died hard, and Anakin still thought of Obi-Wan as his Master. Besides, there would be no use in upsetting Obi-Wan more than he was already.

"Good." Obi-Wan glanced at Stass. "Master, if you'll prepare your Padawan for the trip, I'll take Anakin down to one of the debriefing rooms and start downloading information. We'll leave in four hours."

"I'll go fetch Zett," Stass said. Her gaze lingered on Anakin for a minute, and she smiled encouragingly at him before exiting the Council chamber.

Anakin turned back to Obi-Wan, who was looking out the window again. "You don't look well. Even my daughter, Leia, has noticed that. She adores you."

Obi-Wan stared at Anakin, his gaze slightly less hostile, but still lacking anything Anakin could latch onto. He'd once known Obi-Wan well enough to know what he was feeling by the tilt of an eyebrow, but he seemed a near stranger now.

"Let's get downstairs," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin nodded and walked toward the elevator. "Are you all right? Padmé worried about you, before..." He trailed off. It had been four years, but the pain of Padmé's death was still fresh.

Obi-Wan whirled on him, seemingly torn between sympathy and annoyance. "Look, Anakin, I'm very sorry for your losses and will do everything in my power to help you find your children, but stop pretending that we're still friends or that you care about anything beyond yourself and your children. It's insulting to both of us." He spun on his heel and walked into the lift.

That stung. Anakin followed him into the lift. "You were my friend once. I still care about you."

"That would explain why you haven't bothered to speak to me in seven years, of course. It's all becoming so clear."

Anakin hung his head. Obi-Wan had a point, as sharp as a vibroblade's edge. "I admit, I should have. But I was afraid of what you would say. And then there were the twins, and the war, and you seemed far too busy to bother. I'm sorry."

"So am I. I had quite foolishly expected better from you."

Anakin suddenly found himself more angry than hurt. "Are you trying to tell me that if I had commed you, you would have been happy for me? You wouldn't have lectured me for choosing my attachments over the Jedi?"

There was a soft ping as the elevator stopped at one of the sub-basements. Obi-Wan stared at Anakin, his eyes more gray than blue at that moment. "I would have at least respected you for telling me in person that you'd left the Jedi and spit on everything Qui-Gon died believing in." The doors slid open with a soft hiss and Obi-Wan stepped out into the cool, well-polished hallway.

Anakin grabbed Obi-Wan roughly with his mechanical hand and forced him to meet his gaze. He realized he didn't know what to say, but he was so angry it didn't matter. He stared at Obi-Wan for a long moment, his grip never slackening.

"Either let me go right now, or I'll _make_ you let me go." Obi-Wan's tone remained as neutral and calm as ever, though his eyes flashed again. Even through his glove, Anakin could feel Obi-Wan's muscles tense and bunch.

"Go ahead," Anakin said. He'd needed to hit something ever since Artoo had played Dooku's message. Obi-Wan was just providing him with a target.

Obi-Wan sighed, and to Anakin's surprise, his mechanical hand spasmed. He let Obi-Wan go against his will, as if the polarity of his electrodrivers were reversed. Anakin spent a few minutes restoring his arm back to normal. When he glanced up, Obi-Wan was standing in front of Debriefing Room 7.

"Neat trick," Anakin said. "Pick it up on the front?" He still wanted to hit something, but it could wait.

"I've had to eliminate a few cyborgs over the years. Including bounty hunters."

"You'll have to tell me the story some time."

Obi-Wan crossed his arms, almost protectively. "It's not that interesting. Let's get inside. We don't have much time, and we have a lot of material to go over."

Anakin wanted to argue, but kept his mouth shut. "The sooner we leave, the better."

Obi-Wan nodded once, then palmed the door panel. The door slid open with a soft hiss, and he disappeared inside, clearly expecting Anakin to follow.

Anakin hesitated for a moment, then went inside. He already knew he was going to enjoy this as much as he had all the rest of Obi-Wan's dull and pointless lectures as a child. Which was to say, not at all.

 

_To be continued..._


	3. Chapter 2

The _Jilted Star_ was a large ship, much bigger than Anakin had ever flown on before. It had been a long time since he felt the rumble of a powerful hyperdrive beneath his feet. The hallways were a maze of dark durasteel and glowing power conduits, and the quarters austere and cramped. There was power here, but it was a cold power.

Anakin liked it instantly.

Though Anakin hadn't noticed the cold on his jaunt to Tatooine or Coruscant, it became painfully noticeable on the _Jilted Star_. Or perhaps it was Obi-Wan's attitude that chilled him. He slept with extra blankets at night, and since Obi-Wan had provided him with his old, black Jedi robes, he made sure he kept his outer robe on at all times.

Anakin spent most of the first day onboard the _Jilted Star_ going over all the information on Count Dooku and General Grievous that Obi-Wan could provide -- which wasn't much. Though familiar with Dooku, General Grievous, however, was a _monster_. Even Master Windu had failed to take him out when they'd faced each other in battle. He had stooped low enough to replace almost every part of his body with cybernetics. Entire planets had been razed under his direction.

Anakin spent his free time working out in the gymnasium beside all the clones or walking around the ship. But nothing could distract him from the gnawing dread in his stomach. His _children_ \-- his only reason for living -- were _missing_.

Anakin consoled himself that at least he could tell neither Luke nor Leia were any pain at all, and decided to distract himself with some company. Even if that company hated the sight of him now. He headed to the bridge.

Obi-Wan was studying a holomap of the Yavin system when Anakin entered the bridge. He made no move to acknowledge Anakin.

"Is that our destination?" Anakin asked, looking at the map over Obi-Wan's shoulder.

Commander Ackbar, a tall Mon Calamari officer in command of the _Jilted Star_ glanced at Anakin, but said nothing. He seemed to defer to Obi-Wan.

"I'm not sure yet," Obi-Wan responded after so long Anakin thought he was ignoring him. Obi-Wan was frowning at the console. "I want to confirm reports with a source of mine on Nar Shadda first."

"All right," Anakin said, fidgeting. "Do you want back up?"

Obi-Wan glanced over at him. He seemed to consider this. "Very well. I don't like the idea of bringing down a fourteen-year-old boy to Nar Shadda, so I'll have Stass and Zett remain here. We'll arrive at the planet soon."

Anakin half-smiled. "Yes, Master." He paused. "Do you want to spar?"

"I suppose we have enough time to spar and shower. And stop calling me Master."

Anakin was hurt, though he wasn't sure why. "What should I call you instead?"

"Obi-Wan. What else would you call me, given the circumstances?" Obi-Wan turned to Ackbar. "Commander, I'll be in the lower gymnasium or in my quarters if you need me. Hail me when we reach Nar Shadda."

"Yes, General."

Obi-Wan jerked his head, indicating Anakin should follow him to the lift. He walked so fast that his brown robes swirled around his legs.

Anakin did so, his long legs making it easy to keep pace. "I guess I'm just used to thinking of you as my Master."

"I'm surprised you think of me at all." Obi-Wan crossed his arms as they boarded the lift and stared at the closed doors. They started to descend to the lower levels, the panels lighting as they passed floors.

"You're my example. For how to take care of the twins."

"What?"

"When I don't know what to do, I try to think of what you would do."

Obi-Wan turned and stared at Anakin. The moment passed, and he turned his head again.

"What?" Anakin shrugged. "It's worked so far. Well, except the time Leia got into the Corellian brandy..."

"Leia. Your little girl. She looks a lot like her mother in her holophotos, but she also looks like she has your stubborn jaw. I'm sure she'll be beautiful when she grows up."

"Thank you. But you're changing the subject. Why did you look like you'd swallowed a bundi frog when I said I thought of what you would do?"

Obi-Wan spoke quietly, hesitating a moment longer than necessary between words. "I'd always assumed you considered me a very poor teacher."

"I --" Anakin stopped to consider what he wanted to say. "I didn't realize what you taught me until I had to teach someone else." He put his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "You were a good teacher. Thank you."

The lift stopped with a _ping_ , and the doors slid open. Obi-Wan offered Anakin a slight smile, then stepped away, walking out into the passage.

Anakin followed Obi-Wan out of the lift, falling into the familiar two steps behind position of a student. "Was I really that bad a Padawan?" he asked softly.

"No. I'm just not good with children, I'm afraid. I failed you." The furrows on Obi-Wan's brow told Anakin he was upset, though nothing else in his expression gave it away.

"You didn't fail me. You did your best. I didn't leave because you were a bad teacher. I left because I couldn't be a Jedi and a husband at the same time."

"I still failed to instill Jedi principles in you."

They reached the large gymnasium. It was the only bright area of the ship, since the walls had been painted a sleek white. Obi-Wan slid his outer robes off and walked to one of the empty corners. He tossed his robe into the corner, then spun to face Anakin. He drew his lightsaber off his belt and waited.

"I don't understand how you failed." Anakin shucked his outer clothing and unhooked his lightsaber. He had kept up his forms, but hadn't practiced against another being in years.

"The failure is that you never internalized the Jedi way, no matter how hard I tried."

Anakin blinked, and Obi-Wan was _on_ him. Surprised, he snapped his blade up in defense. Was this what the war had done for Obi-Wan?

"It wasn't your fault. You got me too late to change me." Anakin whirled, holding Obi-Wan off by a hairsbreadth. His body remembered what to do, even as his mind marveled at Obi-Wan's strength.

"Maybe."

Obi-Wan's thrumming blue blade came so close to Anakin's flesh that Anakin wondered if Obi-Wan was trying to kill him. Adrenaline surged through Anakin, and he bent Obi-Wan's blade back on him.

"If you're going to wallow in guilt, don't let me stop you. Because I never had any free will at all, obviously." Anakin overbalanced as Obi-Wan stepped to one side, his lightsaber disengaging from Anakin's.

"Oh, you certainly have your blame, Anakin." Obi-Wan spoke airily, but there was a dangerous edge to his tone. "You were a willful and disobedient child, constantly seeking new ways to irritate me. If your story about how your children came to be kidnapped is true, it seems your daughter Leia is every bit as difficult as you were."

Obi-Wan spun around Anakin, his blade striking out like a snake. He burnt through Anakin's tunic and trousers ten times -- one for each year Anakin spent under his tutelage, no doubt -- before withdrawing, never once touching skin, though the tip of his lightsaber came so close that welts of heat rose on Anakin's skin. As was typical for a man as infuriating as Obi-Wan was, he did not smirk. He only stepped back and bowed, signifying the practice session was over.

"You seem to have forgotten my first lesson already. You'll die attempting to recover those younglings from Dooku if you don't practice more."

Anakin scowled. Obi-Wan was showing off now, and for no reason. "It's easier to practice when you have living opponents. I've been doing katas, but they aren't the same. You'll just have to get me back up to snuff."

"Of course. That's what I live for. Devoting my life and every spare moment to making sure you're 'up to snuff' as you so crudely put it. Why, even after being discarded like an old robe, I can always be counted on to pander to the needs of Anakin Skywalker, whatever they might be. Is there anything else, _Master_ , or might I retire for a shower now?"

"I... I didn't mean it like that. I should have remembered how much you love to hold grudges." Anakin deactivated his lightsaber.

Obi-Wan stood exactly where he was, his expression as blank as a durasteel wall. But there was something in his eyes, something hot and not unlike those few vulnerable moments Anakin remembered Obi-Wan having shortly after Qui-Gon's death. Before Anakin could examine the look, Obi-Wan turned away.

Anakin reached out. "I missed you, you know."

Obi-Wan shrugged his shoulders and moved away. He turned his back to Anakin, summoning his outer robe to his hand with the Force. "At least your children cared enough about you to leave you a note when they left."

 

 

 

There was something about visiting a stronghold of Hutt power that made Anakin uneasy. They'd been a dangerous shadow looming over his entire childhood, the power that made it all right for there to be slaves on Tatooine. Thinking of the slaves, of his mother's suffering on that terrible planet, made Anakin shake with an old anger.

Anakin sucked in his breath as he stepped onto the space deck, trying to push these feelings away. On this planet might be the way for him to find his children, and he would go anywhere, no matter how vile, for them.

The huge space deck was brightly lit, with durasteel walls striped with flight lines. Neat rows of colorful starfighters glittered under the light. There were plenty of clones milling around, attending to their duties, but they were strangely silent. When Anakin heard two male voices -- one still high and unbroken, the other as familiar as the back of his hand -- he followed them to find Obi-Wan standing by a small, blue two-man ship.

Next to Obi-Wan was a gangly youth, with the stretched appearance of someone who'd grown too fast in too short a period of time. His cheeks were round and red, but the rest of his body too thin. He wore the standard cream-colored tunic and trousers typical to most Padawans, and his brown hair was cut in that atrocious haircut Anakin didn't miss at all.

"But Master, I could be of help down there," the youth was saying, watching Obi-Wan as he cleared out the backseat of datapads.

"I don't think so, Zett. You're quite the lightsaber duelist, but Nar Shaddaa is not a good place for a boy your age. Padawan learners fetch a high price in the slave markets down there. I should know. Qui-Gon had to rescue me from one before some Hutt took me home with her when I was twelve."

"But Master! You've been helping me with my deflecting maneuvers, and I'm _fourteen_ , not twelve."

Obi-Wan turned to Zett, smiling a little. He had his hands on hips, reminding Anakin of similar discussions during Anakin's youth. "It may seem like a big difference to you at this age, Zett, but trust me, it's not. Now, go find your Master. I'm sure she has your coursework ready by now."

"Yes, Master." Zett turned away. He shuffled past Anakin without even glancing up at him, looking for all the galaxy as if Obi-Wan had dashed his every hope and dream to pieces.

"Zett," Anakin said. "There will be other missions. You don't want to end up a slave. Trust me." He paused. "Do you want to spar later?" He glanced at Obi-Wan. "I need the practice."

Zett stared at him warily, scratching his Padawan's braid. He glanced back at Obi-Wan, who inclined his head to indicate it was Zett's choice, not his.

"Maybe," said Zett, studying Anakin again. Even for a youth, his gaze seemed sharp, as if he was picking up details about Anakin just by how he wore his clothing. He scratched his braid again and slipped away.

When Anakin turned to face Obi-Wan, clothing was tossed in his face. "You'll need to change into those. You don't want to be associated with Jedi down there," said Obi-Wan. Anakin suddenly realized Obi-Wan was wearing a white and green outfit made for civilians, not his Jedi robes.

"I think I'll stand out less than you will, General Kenobi." Anakin decided it would be too much effort to go find a 'fresher and that he didn't have anything Obi-Wan hadn't seen. He began to strip down to his underclothes. "You're the 'Hero of the Clone War,' you know."

Obi-Wan quickly averted his eyes from Anakin, looking as embarrassed as he always had when Anakin was in any state of undress around him. "In that respect, I'll be just fine. None of those people down there give a flying womp rat about the war." Obi-Wan climbed into the cockpit.

Anakin pulled on the civilian clothing Obi-Wan had given him. It fit well, and was just worn enough to help him pass as a resident of the Smuggler's Moon. He hid his lightsaber in one of the vest pockets and climbed into the ship. "Did you want help flying, or am I just along for the ride?"

Obi-Wan lowered the cockpit hatch, flipping switches on the blinking pilot's console in front of him. "I don't feel like getting ill, so I'll be flying."

"Come on, I'm not that bad. Besides, I'm a responsible father of two now."

"You don't even know where we're going. So, no."

A row of floor lights lit up on either side of the small ship, leading towards the large bay door. Anakin watched as the clones quickly cleared off the deck as the immense bay doors threatened to open. Obi-Wan finished his pre-flight prep and grabbed the steering stick firmly with his right hand. Anakin noticed a long scar from the space between his index finger and thumb trailing up his hand, past his wrist and disappearing under the green material of his coat sleeve. That was new.

Anakin relaxed as the bay doors opened and the ship dropped into the void of space. Space had always calmed him. The Force seemed quieter and purer out among the stars, unlike the chaos it could be on a crowded planet. Anakin reached out and lost himself in the currents of it, his mind brushing Obi-Wan's as he did so.

Anakin felt the crisp pinch of Obi-Wan's mind. He jolted Anakin like an electric current, forcing him back to himself.

"Stay focused on the here and now, Anakin. I need you fully alert."

Obi-Wan continued to flip switches as he descended towards the glittering moon of Nar Shaddaa. Anakin realized Obi-Wan was jamming people from detecting their ship. He seemed tense -- even for him.

When the ship finally burst into the atmosphere, Anakin instantly thought of Coruscant, and its beautiful, never-ending metropolis. Like Coruscant, Nar Shaddaa was covered from pole to pole with technology and development. Unlike Coruscant, there was nothing beautiful about it. It was like looking into a dark mirror of the Jedi Temple's home planet, the durasteel unpolished and edged with rust, the permacrete stained with oils and sewage. Every ancient spire erupting from its corrupted soil, every curve of a building, every face that turned to their ship as they went to dock, had a sharp, nasty edge to it -- like broken glass. Anakin shifted his focus back to the moment with annoyance. The Force around Nar Shaddaa was as dark and jagged as the architecture. It grated on Anakin's nerves.

"What's wrong?" Anakin asked.

"My source may not entirely be happy to see me. Let's just hope she's forgotten about the... last time we saw each other."

Obi-Wan gently guided the ship into a rickety-looking dock. A squat G'uhan waddled out, wiping grease off his mottled gray face.

" _Achuta_ ," he squawked in Huttese. " _Dobra Fular. Bu che copah sa jujumon creedas._ "

To Anakin's surprise, Obi-Wan waved idly waved his hand. "We don't need to pay," he said smoothly. When had Obi-Wan learned Huttese? And furthermore, when had he started using Force influence so liberally?

" _Uba hagwa wamma_ ," Fular quickly agreed, then shuffled back to his watch station, looking blank. The small watch station was as rickety as the dock; it shook and looked like it would fall under Fular's weight, but held fast.

Anakin followed Obi-Wan off the dock, hoping the ship would be there when they got back. Considering the condition of the dock and the shiftiness of Fular, Anakin wouldn't have bet on it.

He fell into step next to Obi-Wan. "What happened the last time you saw this source of yours?"

"She tried to kill me."

Obi-Wan drew his hood a little lower over his face, leading Anakin through the winding, filth-covered catwalk to one of the larger spires. Wretches and criminals of all varieties walked past them, talking amongst themselves. They cast suspicious glances at Obi-Wan and Anakin but made no move towards them. Obi-Wan stopped by one of the entrance lifts into what looked like a derelict apartment building, gesturing that Anakin should go first.

Anakin walked forward, turning to speak to Obi-Wan. "Why did she --?" He froze, sensing danger. "Obi-Wan!" He cried out too late, just as a tall, female form emerged from the shadows, a vibroblade pressed so close to Obi-Wan's throat that a rivulet of blood wound its way down his neck.

Obi-Wan, however, remained perfectly calm. "Hello, Asajj. Charming as ever I see."

Anakin felt like he'd just been punched in the stomach, his hearth thumping in panic. He'd even forgotten to draw his lightsaber. "Let him go, witch, or I'll –"

"He'll be dead before you pull your weapon, boy." The woman's face was harsh, and she was as bald as Mace Windu was. She turned her gaze on Obi-Wan, who had yet to struggle. "I thought I told you never to come back here, Ben."

"You did. As usual, I decided the risks were worth the reward. Shall we retire upstairs to have a more civilized conversation or do I have to turn on my lightsaber?"

Anakin blinked, suddenly realizing that Obi-Wan held the unlit hilt of his lightsaber against Asajj's stomach. She muttered something in a language Anakin didn't recognize and let go. He suddenly realized he could breathe again.

Obi-Wan wiped the blood off his neck and gestured towards the lift, looking up with a frown. "We won't take much of your time," he promised, an unfamiliar edge to his voice.

"Fine. You've got ten minutes," the woman growled, stalking towards the lift. Anakin had barely stepped foot on it when it started moving. They stopped a few stories up and she walked off without saying anything.

Obi-Wan gave Anakin a strained smile. "Don't worry. We go way back."

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan in disbelief. "And you complained about me? _I'm not trying to kill you!_ " He paused as Obi-Wan's words sunk in. "And who the kriff is Ben?"

"Ah, Ben is me. It doesn't do to identify oneself by your proper name when you're on a certain sort of mission." Obi-Wan followed Asajj onto the landing.

"You've got a lot of nerve coming back here after the last time, _Kenobi_ ," Asajj spat, her arms crossed.

Obi-Wan sighed. "I did what I had to do. As did you."

"Sounds like you two were made for each other," Anakin muttered. He walked past Obi-Wan. "If you won't talk to him, will you talk to me? My name's Anakin, and I've never met you, so you can't be karked off at me."

"You wouldn't say that if you knew her," Obi-Wan quipped.

Asajj shot Obi-Wan a glare, then led them through a door down the hall. Anakin found himself in a dilapidated apartment. There were traces of former grandeur about it, but for the most part, everything was in a state of disrepair.

"Nice place," Anakin remarked. He made sure to leave enough room between himself and Asajj that he could react if she attacked.

Asajj whirled around, her hands resting on the handles of two matching blasters. She studied Anakin for a long moment. "So you're Obi-Wan's former catamite," she said with a sneer. "I thought you'd be shorter."

Anakin blinked at being called Obi-Wan's catamite. The very idea of being Obi-Wan's sex toy made him shudder, but for two completely different reasons.

Obi-Wan ran his fingers through his hair. "Whenever you two are done."

Asajj scowled deeply at Obi-Wan, her hand tightening around her blaster. "Why are you here, Kenobi? I told you, I'm through with both you and Dooku. I want no part of this war again. I have a business to run now."

"We're looking for my children," Anakin said. "Dooku kidnapped them."

"That's lucky. You should thank him for taking your brats off your hands."

Obi-Wan grabbed Anakin's shoulder before he could launch himself at Asajj. Anakin settled for a growl, which wiped the nasty smile off Asajj's face.

"Look, Asajj, we want to know where Dooku is. Have you heard from him?"

She glanced at Obi-Wan angrily. "Oddly enough, yes. It seems all the men in my former life decided to contact me in the past week. If I didn't think you were both after something other than me, I'd be flattered by all the attention."

Anakin shrugged. "I'm not after anything. Tell me where Dooku is, and I'll let you keep him." He gestured to Obi-Wan.

Asajj's gaze was strangely hot as she turned her gaze on Anakin. There was something on edge about her, not quite part of the dark side, but Anakin could tell she'd been there before. The echoes of hate and fury burned in her eyes.

"I don't want Kenobi. Or Dooku."

Anakin sensed he'd struck a nerve. Obi-Wan gently touched Asajj's shoulder. "Just tell me where he is, Asajj. I'll leave again, like you wanted me to." His voice was gentle, far more gentle than Anakin recalled Obi-Wan ever speaking to _him_.

Asajj rolled her shoulders and dropped down onto her dusty sofa. She picked up a small case and pulled out a thin green spice cigarette. She lit it carefully, inhaling the grass-colored smoke before exhaling. She did not meet Obi-Wan's eyes.

"Yavin IV. It's probably a trap. I see no other reason for him to contact me."

Obi-Wan bowed. "Thank you, Asajj. It's still a start." He exhaled loudly, making a move towards her, then stopping himself. "I'm sorry about last time."

Asajj shrugged. "It's old news, just like everything else between us. Now go and leave me in peace."

Anakin bowed to her, too, before heading out of the apartment. He waited at the lift entrance for Obi-Wan.

"What happened between you two?"

Obi-Wan brushed past Anakin to get in the lift. His expression was tight. "If it were your business, my former Padawan, I would have told you."

"She seemed hurt." The lift shook slightly as it reached the ground floor. "Like she had a broken heart."

Obi-Wan paused, glancing back at Anakin. "She was like that when I met her." He turned away again, his pace quickening as he strode out of the building.

Anakin followed, thinking. There was more going on than met the eye, and Obi-Wan was being deliberately obtuse, as usual. If Anakin didn't know any better, he would swear Obi-Wan had a broken heart, too.

 

_To be continued…_

* * *

The Huttese is not perfect, but our source is here: <http://www.geocities.com/wermosguidetohuttese/Huttese101.html>


	4. Chapter 3

Anakin woke up when he rolled out of bed.

It wasn't until he bumped into the wall, his pillows tumbling towards him, that he realized the ship was _rocking_. He heard a distant klaxon in the hallway. Not bothering to grab a robe, he ran out into the cold hallway in his undershorts.

Red lights flashed, and a siren wailed. Commander Ackbar's robust baritone could only barely be heard over the cacophony. "All hands to battlestations," he commanded. "We are under attack by enemy forces. All hands to battlestations."

Clone troopers raced by Anakin at full speed, as he ran up to the bridge, feeling the cold prickle his bare skin. When he burst into the wide bridge, Obi-Wan was sitting in the command chair, a circle of holoscreens flashing around him. He wore a slim headpiece that gave commands into.

"Stass, I know he's only fourteen," Obi-Wan was saying into his headpiece. "I don't like it anymore than you do. But he's old enough to be in battle, and we need all the pilots we can get.

"No, Oddball, ready all ships."

Anakin turned to Commander Ackbar, who stood as straight as a power rod, barking out orders into the speaker. Seeing that Ackbar was also busy, Anakin approached Obi-Wan, shivering a little from the cold.

Through the transparisteel window, he could see two swarms of starfighters meet each other in a burst of fire. A huge Separatist cruiser loomed at the back, torpedoes screaming through space towards them, bursting against their deflector shields.

"Obi-Wan," Anakin said, "give me a ship. I can help."

Obi-Wan's head snapped towards him, and his eyes narrowed. "Oddball, keep to the back and order your troops to pummel the enemy with all they have. Our deflector shields can't take much more."

"Obi-Wan –"

"Not happening, Anakin. You're out of practice, and I'm not endangering anyone's life with your antics. Now, get off my bridge, and stay out of this fight. I have it under control."

Anakin opened his mouth to argue, then realized there was an alternative. "Fine," he answered as heatedly as he could, and spun on his heel. He stormed out, making sure to look angry until the bridge's doors slid shut behind him.

Then, he burst into a run. It didn't take him long to grab a flightsuit from one of the clone's lockers and slip it on. When he arrived on the space deck, no one gave him a second glance – he was just another helmeted clone, heading for his starfighter.

Zett was just climbing into his starfighter when Anakin grabbed him. He tossed the boy behind him, trusting Zett's Jedi reflexes would allow him to land unhurt, and climbed into Zett's starfighter. As the hatch came down, Anakin glanced out, finding Zett standing to the side with his mouth open, clearly baffled. Anakin took off the helmet and grinned.

Zett blinked in response.

Stass's voice crackled through the loudspeaker. "Zett, I want you to stay right behind me during this fight. Deviate from that course, and you'll be doing coursework until you're thirty."

"Sorry, Stass," Anakin said cheerfully, "no can do."

And with that, he sped the starfighter up, heading straight for the cruiser. He had to end the fight quickly, or the _Jilted Star_ was going to go down. And Anakin wasn't going to let that happen – not while Obi-Wan was on it.

Fire burst outside his transparisteel hatch as brightly colored laser bolts hit his deflector shield. Anakin spun and twisted his starfighter to avoid the enemy fire, losing all sense of direction – as was only natural for space. He felt right at home; he'd forgotten how much he loved to fly while being planet-bound with his two children.

Soon, even thoughts of Luke and Leia faded to the back of Anakin's mind as he focused on his objective: taking out the cruiser. It loomed even larger than before, filling his entire screen as he approached, easily weaving through the enemy ranks to get to it. He let the Force flow through him and around him; it filled him with the extra sense of _where_ and _when_ to be. His hands moved like lightning over his controls, maneuvering his small starfighter through tight areas.

The bridge of the enemy cruiser was directly in front of him when he allowed himself to focus on the here and now. An ion blast from the _Jilted Star_ burst through the enemy ship's deflector shield. Smiling in triumph, Anakin flew through the weak spot and angled up. He could see the open-mouthed surprise on the faces of the officers standing on the enemy's bridge as he fired through their window. He made sure to pummel all the control panels and send a few blasts to the power connector, using everything his little ship had to give.

Anakin sensed imminent danger in the Force. He backed off and retreated through the weak spot in the deflector shield, just as the exhaust vents started to explode. He jacked up the speed of the starfighter, watching as the enemy cruiser started to break apart behind him. As it exploded, the shockwave rolled throughout the enemy ranks, sending every ship in the vicinity shuddering; a few that were too close exploded with it.

As soon as the cruiser was destroyed, the enemy starfighters surrendered, now outnumbered. Anakin smiled.

He was victorious once again.

 

 

 

Anakin flew back into the Jilted Star's hangar bay, adrenaline still coursing through his veins. He had violated direct orders, but he had gotten to fly. He had gotten to fight. He had gotten to do something besides sit in his cabin and worry. It was the best feeling in the galaxy.

Even if Obi-Wan was going to kill him.

As the hatch to the cockpit rose, Anakin glanced over at Stass, who had neatly landed her fighter next to his. She took off her headset and shook out the tentacles of her Tholoth headdress. When she looked at Anakin, her face was devoid of expression.

"Master Kenobi does not like his orders being ignored. But for what it's worth... thank you for taking the place of my Padawan."

Stass climbed out, pulling her dark brown robes about her as she walked across the permacrete deck. She passed Obi-Wan, who was already marching onto the space deck. He seemed to have developed a tick on the left side of his forehead. Zett was walking behind him, until Stass touched his arm and directed him out. Anakin could have sworn he saw the youth glaring at him.

Anakin climbed out of his fighter, warmed a little by Stass's thanks. Not that they would take the edge out of the tongue-lashing that was on the horizon.

Obi-Wan stopped just short of Anakin's starfighter. His glare was so fierce that his eyes were almost pure blue -- Anakin knew that was a bad sign.

"I gave you strict orders to leave the bridge and stay out of the fight, Anakin. Strict orders. You are not a Jedi Knight. You are not an officer of the Grand Army of the Republic. You are not a clone trooper. You are a civilian."

"And I'm a better pilot than anyone on this ship," Anakin pointed out. "You would send a fourteen year-old out there instead?"

"That fourteen-year-old's job is to fly his starfighter at his Master's side and take care of the small droid fighters. I don't care what you are, Anakin, you just stay of my fights -- and I'll stay out of yours."

"Who said this was your fight? Those are my children out there."

"Your children _weren't_ out there -- Dooku was long gone. All there were was those blasted droid ships and a Neimoidian starcruiser. You'll be happy to know we can narrow down Dooku's trajectory to a particular sector. When we face Dooku, that's your fight. But right now, when we're on this ship, I'm in command, and you will listen to me."

"Give me something to do, General." Anakin was using his height to look down at Obi-Wan now. "I'm sick of just waiting."

Obi-Wan's eyes flashed, and he tilted his head back. "You'll have plenty to do soon enough. I don't care how sick you are of waiting. You always do this. You still act like a nine-year-old little boy who gets involved in things he shouldn't -- you could have been killed out there. You don't know anything about Separatist tactics or weak spots. And a lot of good you'd do your children when you're dead."

Anakin smiled beatifically. "'The Force is my ally,'" he quoted, "'and a powerful ally it is.' I haven't forgotten everything, you know."

Obi-Wan's eyes flashed again, the tic on his temple more prominent than ever. "Yes, but you never showed any aptitude for understanding the Force, my former apprentice," he said, then turned on his heel. "Disobey me again, Anakin, and I'll have you confined to quarters. I spent a lot of time studying Separatist maneuvers so that I could be prepared for their tactics. You were lucky this time, but I'll not have you endangering yourself or this mission with your delusions of grandeur."

"If you want me to better understand the Separatists, you would let me study their maneuvers. Then I wouldn't be endangering the mission."

Obi-Wan only walked away, his robes fluttering about his legs. For any other sort of man, his reaction was underwhelming, but for Obi-Wan, that had been a positive temper tantrum.

 

 

 

Despite the obvious snit Obi-Wan was in, Anakin felt a little more peaceful. He'd done something that day to bring him a little closer to his children. He'd needed that, and Obi-Wan could kark off if he didn't understand that.

Of course Obi-Wan wouldn't understand. He didn't have children. He didn't know what it was like to hinge his life off of them. Not knowing where his children were, not knowing what was happening to them, made Anakin's stomach twist over on itself. He had to find them soon.

Anakin had kept to his quarters, thinking he'd just try to talk to Obi-Wan the next day. Obi-Wan had almost always given into Anakin after being left alone when he was a boy. The war couldn't have changed him that much.

When door buzzer rang, Anakin had to wonder who would want to talk to him. To his surprise, Obi-Wan was standing there. "Hello," Anakin said, moving out of the way so Obi-Wan could enter the room. "I wasn't expecting company."

Obi-Wan walked in without greeting. He carried a small box and started unloading datapads and holodisks onto a table, his expression tight.

"In here I have a sizable collection of data on previous space and ground battles over the past seven years. I have analyses of their maneuvers and ours, as well as the size of their forces, preferences of direction, and the idiosyncrasies of the battle droids. It's quite extensive -- I should know, two-thirds of this was written by me."

Anakin smiled at Obi-Wan. "I'm not surprised. Analysis was always your gift." He reached forward and picked up a datapad. "Thank you."

"This doesn't mean I'm letting you get away with disobeying me again. But there may come a time when we need your help, and I would be remiss in my duties as commanding officer if I didn't utilize everyone's gifts on this mission."

"Yes, Ma- Obi-Wan," Anakin said, standing. He moved closer to Obi-Wan, wanting to spend more time with him. It was a nice feeling, to talk to another adult about something besides bedtimes and age-appropriate holoprogramming. Anakin had almost forgotten what it was like to have peers. "Anything else I need to know?"

Obi-Wan tensed, staring down at the box of datapads. "These battles that we fight? They're not games, Anakin. They're not pod racing or accidentally blowing up Droid Control Ships. They're real. People die when you fail."

"I know," Anakin said. His right hand twitched. "I remember Geonosis. I remember our missions. I won't fail you."

"It's not me you would be failing. It would be the galaxy. Your children. Try to keep that in mind the next time you run off like an idiot."

Anakin put his hand on Obi-Wan's arm. "You're a bit closer to me than the galaxy."

Obi-Wan stared at Anakin's hand. "But far less important," he said in a clipped tone.

Anakin caught Obi-Wan's eye. "No." He smiled a little. "You're more important."

Obi-Wan neatly sidestepped Anakin, letting Anakin's hand slide off his arm. He looked as uncomfortable as he always had when Anakin touched him as a youth. He kept his gaze on the door as he spoke.

"The flattery is pointless. I should go."

Anakin watched Obi-Wan move away and realized he was feeling something he hadn't since Padmé died. Longing. Attraction. It was vaguely unsettling, but he didn't want Obi-Wan to leave.

"I…" Anakin searched for a topic of conversation. "I didn't tell you I was leaving because I didn't think you would care. I thought you would get a better Padawan and be happy."

Obi-Wan didn't meet Anakin's eyes. "I would have thought it was obvious that I would not have wanted you to leave the Jedi Order -- or me?"

"I could never tell. Sometimes I would think you actually liked me, and then you would say something."

"Part of a Master's duty to their Padawan is to never stop demanding their full potential from them. You have the ability to do so much, to surpass me with ease, but you would dig your heels in and refuse to change. That is why I kept riding you."

"Oh. I left because… well. You know." Anakin looked at the floor. Thinking of Padmé still hurt.

"Yes, I do know. You left everything behind, Anakin. You left _me_. You didn't even say good-bye. I may be a Jedi, but I'm human enough to be hurt."

Anakin put his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder again. "I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't realize I had hurt you."

Obi-Wan rolled his shoulders to knock Anakin's hand off again. "I'm over it. And stop touching me."

Anakin stepped closer once again, pressing Obi-Wan towards the wall of the small cabin. "I want you to be happy."

Obi-Wan stopped backing up when his back hit the wall. He crossed his arms, looking almost sullen. "Then help me end this war and stop making my life so complicated."

"Why do I make your life complicated?"

"You… there was one good thing about you leaving. Things were simple again. Now that you're back, they just as complicated as before. Maybe even more so." Obi-Wan suddenly darted away, moving towards the door.

Anakin pinned Obi-Wan to the wall. "You didn't answer the question."

If Obi-Wan had been any other sort of man, he probably would have sworn. As it was, he tilted his head away, looking more sullen than ever. "I told you to stop touching me," he said, durasteel in his voice.

"I will when you answer me."

"It's none of your business. Now, I can push you away, or you can back off like a more civilized man. Your choice."

"It is my business. If you want me to stop making your life complicated, I need to know what it is I'm doing."

Obi-Wan suddenly grabbed Anakin's wrists, squeezing hard. He met Anakin's gaze, his eyes nearly pure blue again. " _This_ is what is making my life complicated. Now, let go."

"What?" Anakin didn't understand. "You aren't making sense."

Anakin felt a sharp pain as Obi-Wan broke his hold, but lost track of what was going on. There was a blur of motion, the light scent of Obi-Wan's aftershave, and the scratchy bristle of a beard against his face, coupled with the press of soft lips against his. It was a closed-mouth kiss, brief, but full of a caged intensity. It took Anakin a moment to realize it was Obi-Wan who was kissing him.

"That's what's complicated," said Obi-Wan, pushing Anakin back and disappeared out of the door before Anakin could recover his senses.

Anakin blinked for a moment before sitting heavily on his bed. He lay back, his mind swirling. He had a lot of thinking to do.

 

 

 

By the next day, Anakin decided he needed to talk to Obi-Wan. He went to Obi-Wan's quarters, waiting nervously to be admitted. After several insistent pushes of the call button, the door slid open.

Obi-Wan stood in the door frame, frowning. He was dressed casually -- which mean he wore only one tunic and a loose pair of trousers. "What do you want?" he asked.

"Can we talk about yesterday?" It was a stupid thing to say, but Anakin had to start somewhere.

"There's nothing to say, really. I apologize for my reaction."

"There's a lot to say. Don't apologize. I didn't mind." Anakin dropped his voice. "I liked it."

Obi-Wan met his eyes. He had a deep furrow between his brows. "Don't patronize me, Anakin."

"I'm not. I did. I want to do it again."

There, he'd said it.

Obi-Wan looked away. "That's even worse."

Anakin frowned. "Why?"

"It should be obvious. Anakin, not only do we need to focus on getting your children back, but dragging up complicated... emotions will only make things more difficult for both of us."

"There's only so much we can do for Luke and Leia right now. And we're doing it. There's no reason we have to repress our feelings at the same time. Things will only be difficult if we make them difficult."

Obi-Wan looked annoyed. "At least come in so we can have this blasted conversation in private." He moved away from the door to allow Anakin in.

As Anakin entered, he realized Obi-Wan's room was bigger, which he supposed was only fair considering Obi-Wan was a General in the Grand Army of the Republic. Obi-Wan's bed was made, and there was a blinking datapad lying on one of the chairs.

"Have a seat." Obi-Wan gestured Anakin to a plush chair, sounding tired. He, however, made no move to the other chair.

"I'm fine," Anakin said, standing close to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan held up a hand. "This is ridiculous. I don't know if you've been drinking or what, but it's utterly ridiculous. I let you in here against my better judgment to make it clear that last night was a mistake on my part. I'd wanted you to understand why you need to back off, not press the issue."

"Stop saying it was a mistake. Stop denying what you want. You can have me."

"Have you? Anakin, do you even hear yourself? I think you've spent far too much time alone, and you're getting desperate. You'll thank me for keeping my head when you go back home to Naboo with your children." Obi-Wan shook his head and gestured at the door behind Anakin. "Now, go back to your room. We'll be at Hoth by the time you wake up, and there may be a Separatist base there."

Anakin gave up. He grabbed Obi-Wan, pulled him close, and kissed him. "I'm not desperate," he whispered against Obi-Wan's lips. "I want you. I haven't wanted anyone this much since Padmé died." He kissed Obi-Wan again, putting everything Padmé had ever taught him about kissing into it.

Obi-Wan didn't move at first, perfectly still against Anakin, as if frozen by the touch. After Anakin spoke, he kissed back for just a moment, tangling his fingers in Anakin's long hair. He pulled Anakin even closer, his tongue meeting Anakin's, everything about him hot and intense.

Then, without warning, Obi-Wan roughly pushed Anakin away. "This is a mistake, Anakin. You may not be apprentice any longer, but this is still not right."

"Why not?" Anakin asked. "We both want it. We're both consenting adults."

Obi-Wan backed up. He looked stubborn. "This is still a mistake. Anakin, I've known you since you were a small boy. Doesn't this strike you as odd or out of place? And I'm still a Jedi, even if you aren't. Furthermore, we're on a mission. To save your children."

"I told you. There's nothing we can about the mission _right now_. As much as I wish there was."

"And you completely ignored the rest of my statement. Typical. Anakin..." Obi-Wan's voice took a slight pleading quality. "Anakin, please be reasonable."

"I am. I want us both to be happy. It's not that difficult."

"Getting into a foolish relationship does not mean happiness. Has nothing about your marriage and Padmé's death taught you about reality?"

"It taught me to take what happiness I could, because it could be taken away in an instant." He looked down and spoke quietly. "Love is not foolish."

"Who said anything about love? This is utterly insane." Obi-Wan grabbed his dark brown cloak off his chair. "If you won't leave, then I will."

"Why is this insane? What's so wrong with it?"

Obi-Wan paused by his door. "I am a _Jedi_ , Anakin. I follow the Jedi way. I cannot want anything too much. And you always want too much of me. You always have." He palmed the door open. "I'll see you when we reach Hoth."

Anakin just stood there, swamped with confusion, as Obi-Wan walked out the door, leaving Anakin alone in the room.

 

_To be continued…_


	5. Chapter 4

After spending the night sleeping in Obi-Wan's bed alone, Anakin reported to the bridge, his stomach in tight knots. Obi-Wan stood next to Commander Ackbar, deep in discussion. He looked a little worse for not having spent the night in his own bed; Anakin wondered if Obi-Wan had slept at all. Stass and Zett appeared a moment later. They both looked sleepy.

When they came in, Obi-Wan looked up. He beckoned them over to the tactical readouts and holoscreens he stood by. Anakin sniffed in his direction; Obi-Wan hadn't even showered.

Obi-Wan ignored him. "This is what we have on Hoth." He pointed to some vague outlines of power generators covered in the snow. "We have two incidents of this on the planet below. It may be pirates, but we have leads from Clone Intelligence which indicate Dooku might be hiding a base here. If so, we need to get tracking codes for the Invisible Hand. We're going to split into teams of two, each with a battalion of clones, and comb the areas."

Stass nodded. "If it is pirates?"

"Pay them and ask them for leads. Now, I was thinking I might take Zett with me, so he could have a different outlook on another Master's technique on a search mission. Stass, you could go with Anakin."

Stass frowned deeply, glancing between Obi-Wan and her Padawan. Anakin scowled, the knot in his stomach a little more painful. He knew exactly why Obi-Wan didn't want to be alone with him.

Zett, however, looked quite pleased, and stood a little taller. "I'd love to go with you, Master Kenobi," he said.

"I don't think that's a good idea," said Stass, shaking her head enough that the tentacles on her headdress flapped. "I want to keep my Padawan by my side in case there's trouble. He is to be a Healer, and it's better he learn from myself -- since that is what I am."

Anakin decided he liked Stass very much at that moment.

"I'm sure there will be other opportunities for Zett to learn search techniques," Anakin said, twisting the vibroblade further. "On a less dangerous mission."

"We can only hope," Stass said. "If the Force is with us, the war might end soon."

"Very well," said Obi-Wan. He kept his tone neutral, but he shot Anakin a dirty look.

Zett sagged with disappointment. Stass patted him on the shoulder, but he appeared inconsolable. He gave her the same sort of look that Anakin often received from Leia when he would insist she eat her vegetables at dinner.

"Stass, you and Zett take the southern continent. It's not quite as cold there, but you'll need your best thermal wear. Anakin and I will take the continent in the eastern hemisphere. We'll keep in contact through satellite." Obi-Wan cast Anakin a pointed look. "I'm going to shower very quickly. Anakin, gather your supplies for Hoth. Commander Cody should be in the tactical warfare room. Check with him -- he's in charge of our battalion."

Anakin nodded to Obi-Wan. "Yes, sir," he said. "Have fun in the shower." He smiled innocently and turned to leave the bridge.

When Anakin glanced back over his shoulder, Obi-Wan was staring at him suspiciously, frowning.

Anakin merely smiled again and went to his quarters to get his thermal wear. His Tatooine-born body considered even Naboo cold, so Hoth would be the equivalent of a frozen hell for him. After dressing, he made his way to the tactical center, looking for the clone named Cody.

Upon arriving in the crowded, noisy room, Anakin wondered if he were in a circus, not a military operation. He elbowed his way through clones, watching at all the beeping screens and messages being passed back and forth.

Cody looked every bit like the rest of the clones physically, but there was something that set him apart. Anakin didn't even have to check the color striping on his armor to know he was in charge. He had an air of confidence and assurance of a man bred to his position -- which he was, of course. He snapped out orders and gestured at the other clones with an efficiency that Obi-Wan probably appreciated. He looked up as Anakin approached.

"Ah, Master Skywalker. The General said you would be accompanying us on this mission. I'm not overly familiar with the training levels of a Padawan Learner, but you are familiar with search missions procedures, correct?"

"Quite," Anakin said, remembering more search missions than he really wanted to count. He looked Cody in the eye. "I left the Order only a few months before I would have become a Jedi Knight."

"Excellent. You'll be under the General's direct command, of course. I'll also be answering to him directly." Cody brought up a holodisplay full of data on Hoth. "It's colder than Jango's body down there. When nightfall hits, we'll need to make sure we are well-secured in our survival shelters, else we'll freeze to death. We can't adapt speeders, so we're having to bring AT-RTs and AT-APs, as well as a couple of Juggernauts."

Cody flipped through a few screens of some impressive-looking large vehicles and a couple of individual walkers. "You and General Kenobi will be on the point Juggernaut with the main mobile command center. My men are ready to deploy as soon as the General is ready. Any questions?"

Anakin shook his head.

"We're well-prepared. The General's not lost many engagements." There was a small beeping sound, and Cody hit a button on holodisplay band wrapped around his wrist. A small, blue hologram of Obi-Wan, wearing winter gear, appeared.

"I'm ready. Let's move out."

"Yes, sir," said Cody as the transmission winked out. He nodded to Anakin, then pressed a few more buttons on the command console by him. He grabbed his white helmet and beckoned Anakin to follow him. "This way, Master Skywalker."

Obi-Wan and a formation of clone troopers waited next to the transports that would bring them to the surface. Anakin smiled at Obi-Wan. "Ready to freeze?"

Ignoring Anakin, Obi-Wan nodded to one of the clone trooper commanders he was speaking to; the clone trooper saluted then moved to one of the transport ships.

Obi-Wan nodded curtly at Anakin. "This is going to be a bumpy ride, so buckle yourself in," he said as he climbed inside one of the cramped transport ships

As Anakin followed him in, he realized it was a breakaway-transport. They had no hyperdrive, barely any gravity, and hardly any impact-cushioning. They were made only for dropping military surface vehicles onto planets.

Anakin sat down next to Obi-Wan and strapped in tightly. When he was secure, he studied Obi-Wan's profile. There were lines there that he hadn't noticed before, and an unnatural tightness around Obi-Wan's eyes. He wished he could ease that tension away.

The transport finally dropped out of the Jilted Star with a mighty groan, and Anakin nearly whooped. He loved incredible rates of speed that a transport could drop at. The ship rattled and shook, threatening to break into pieces with one misstep.

Obi-Wan clutched the handlebars over his seat and looked like he might vomit at any moment.

Anakin grinned at him. "Relax! This is the best part!"

The transport was dropping even faster now, even as they entered the atmosphere and drag started to affect the flight. The transport bucked and shuddered as the pilot fought to keep them level.

Obi-Wan cast him a look that should have been illegal it was so dirty. Another bump and he leaned back, murmuring to himself. It was one of those things Anakin never understood him. As good a pilot as Obi-Wan was, he hated flying, and he especially hated transport drops.

There was the thunderous sound of the rocket boosters flaring to slow their descent, and a moment later, they landed on the ground with a hard jolt that nearly knocked Anakin free of his harness. As it was, they bit into his shoulders painfully. That was the only part he disliked about transport drops -- the harnesses were never cushioned well enough.

Obi-Wan practically threw himself out of the transport door and onto the near-blinding snow outside. There was the sound of retching not even a second later. Another one of Obi-Wan's familiar post-drop rituals.

Anakin forced himself out of the warmth of the transport. He walked over to Obi-Wan's doubled-over figure and rubbed Obi-Wan's back. It worked well when the twins were sick.

"Get off," moaned Obi-Wan, standing up. He leaned against the side of the transport, wiping his mouth. He still looked green around the edges. He kept his face turned, as if he could pretend Anakin wasn't there by not looking at him.

Cody poked his head out of the door. "All right, General?

"Another happy landing," quipped Obi-Wan. "That was worse than usual."

"Sorry. Oddball was having a bit of fun. I have some ginger pills if you like."

"I would. And tell Oddball if he wants to have 'fun' again, we can spar with lightsabers sometime."

"Will do." Cody grinned and disappeared into the ship. Anakin watched him with a bit of wonder. He'd never expected clones to develop personalities.

"Let's go," Obi-Wan told Anakin without looking at him, climbing back up into the transport.

Anakin followed Obi-Wan into the transport again, sticking close to him. He was feeling strangely protective, even if Obi-Wan didn't want him to be. "Look on the bright side," he said, leaning close to Obi-Wan's ear. "We're on the ground now."

Cody handed Obi-Wan a couple of golden pills. As Obi-Wan silently took the pills, Cody gave Anakin the oddest look. It was something between curiosity and jealousy, both strangely mild. Then he turned away and marched back to the front.

Anakin strapped himself back in, but less tightly, and waited for the transport to move. He continued to study Obi-Wan's face, relearning familiar terrain.

Obi-Wan kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, saying nothing. Within moments, Cody's voice rang. "General, we're approaching the generators. There does seem to be a base. Orders?"

Obi-Wan glanced at Anakin. "Try to comm them."

"Yes, sir." Cody's voice was smooth as he gave orders to the communications officer.

The comm officer seemed to be deep at work, trying several different frequencies, his brow furrowed. "General, I finally got something," he said, his voice the same as Cody's -- Anakin would never get over the concept of these men all being practically the same person.

"What is it?"

"A countdown, sir. I don't understand."

Obi-Wan stood straight up in alarm, grabbing a handhold. "All units retreat! I said, all units --"

All Anakin remembered next was the sound of something exploding, and the world closing in around him.

 

 

 

Anakin awoke to cold and a headache. For a moment, he thought he was back on Milos IV, when he and Obi-Wan had been trapped by an avalanche. The sound of Obi-Wan's voice brought him back to the present. He was on Hoth, searching for his children. The Separatists had laid a trap for them.

"Obi-Wan?" he said, trying to sit up.

"Just relax, Anakin. You got hit square in the head with debris." Obi-Wan pressed a palm to his chest. "Everything's all right."

"Where are we? Is everyone all right?"

Obi-Wan's hand, unfortunately, disappeared. His vision was starting to clear, revealing some vague indistinct blurs of light and shadow.

"We took heavy casualties from our Juggernaut – it was slagged. I also lost some clones on the AT-RTs and AT-APs, but everyone in the other Juggernauts survived. You were lucky." Anakin felt fingers on his wrist, no doubt checking his pulse. "You weren't wearing a helmet and were still buckled in, so you were only hit with flying debris. I'll have Stass take a look at you when we get back to the _Jilted Star_."

"I'm cold. How soon can we get back to the ship?"

"Not until morning, I'm afraid. Stass and Zett are all right, but they sustained more casualties when the base on the southern continent exploded. We lost two Juggernauts, and the transports are busy down there."

The shadows shifted across the light, and Anakin felt thermal blankets being pulled on top of him. "I doubt the transports would be able to find us in the dark, and as cold as it is, it's too dangerous to leave the shelters. We'll tough it out."

Anakin moved closer to the shape that was Obi-Wan, trying to soak up his warmth. To Anakin's relief, Obi-Wan didn't move away. Instead, he awkwardly put an arm around Anakin. "I'm sorry we lost the lead," he whispered. "There's nothing left in the bases to salvage. We'll have to start from scratch."

Anakin stretched out into the Force, searching for Luke and Leia. They were out there somewhere in the vastness of the galaxy, and he would find them. He could feel them, their presences muted, but he couldn't figure out where. The dark side that swirled around them clouded his vision, and made it harder for him to sense them.

 _Be brave_ , he thought to them, _Daddy's coming for you_.

He curled into Obi-Wan's touch. "The dark side is getting close to them," he said.

Anakin felt Obi-Wan's hand, stroking his hair, like when he'd been a boy. The movement was light and soft, but there was something familiar and comforting about it all the same.

"I've killed one of his intended apprentices, and the other one I managed to convince she was better off without him. The Council's fear -- _my_ fear -- is that he may be trying to groom your children for the Sith."

"They're so young," Anakin said. He could remember when they were born and how tiny they had seemed. He could remember the previous week when Leia had lost her first tooth. He couldn't imagine his beautiful children warped by the dark side. "We have to get them back."

"We will. I give you my word as a Jedi Knight. We'll find your children."

"Thank you." Anakin burrowed in Obi-Wan's side. "You'll like them. They're so smart. Luke's already learned how to build little droids, and Leia watches the HoloNet all the time when she things I'm not looking. She has a temper, but Luke can calm her down." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I miss them so much."

"They sound like very interesting little people. Like you were split in two, the boy given your gift with mechanical things, and the girl your personality." Obi-Wan sounded amused. He shifted slightly, making it more comfortable for Anakin to lie against him.

"They're Padmé's, too. Leia looks so much like her, and Luke acts just like her. They're what I have left. I hope Padmé is keeping them safe."

"I'm... sure she is." Obi-Wan paused, the sound of his breathing the only noise in the tent. "Do you feel any pain?"

"My head hurts a little."

"You've a bit of a head injury. I gave you enough medication to knock out a rancor -- I'm sure you can't see. I'm surprised you're even awake. Did you want more medicine?"

"No. This is nice. I like being with you."

There was a slight rustle of cloth -- another thermal blanket -- and Anakin felt Obi-Wan's cold cheek press against his. Obi-Wan's beard was both soft and scratchy against Anakin's face.

"I've missed you, Anakin," Obi-Wan whispered after what seemed like forever.

Anakin shifted so he could put his arm around Obi-Wan. "You should come to Naboo, after." Anakin wanted to spend more time with Obi-Wan now that they were speaking again.

"I... if the war's over, I'll visit you."

"Good." Anakin clumsily nuzzled his way up Obi-Wan's face and kissed him softly before putting his head back on the pillow.

Obi-Wan tensed at the kiss, but when Anakin lay back down, he relaxed a bit. He remained pressed against Anakin, his arms around Anakin. He idly stroked Anakin's hair and back, thought it could barely be felt through all the winter gear they had on.

"So tell me more about these children we're risking life and limb to find."

"Luke is quiet. He'll follow me for hours without saying a word, just watching. He tries to do katas with me, too. I've shown him some little things with the Force. He would make a good Jedi. Leia talks more. She's always convincing Luke to get in trouble, or talking her grandparents into something. She'll be Queen of Naboo someday, if she learns to control her temper."

A long time passed before Obi-Wan spoke. "I'm sorry you never let them be brought to the Temple."

Anakin twisted in Obi-Wan's grasp. "You would have taken them from me. I don't want that. Children should know their family."

Obi-Wan backed off, letting Anakin go. "If they're taken early enough, the Jedi become their family. I don't know my parents, and I've never suffered for it. Qui-Gon and Yoda were my parents."

" _They're my children_." Anakin sounded deeply hurt. "I wasn't going to let the Jedi take them. Padmé and I didn't have them so we could give them up. We had them because we wanted them. We love them."

Another rustle of the thermal blankets, and Anakin sensed Obi-Wan's back was to him. "They had the potential and could have been trained at the right age. I'd have trained the girl myself. They would have been safe with us."

"I don't care how safe they would have been. Being safe isn't being loved. It isn't being touched. It isn't knowing someone would do anything for you. The Temple couldn't have given them that. I can. The Naberries can. Luke and Leia are better off with me."

"After you left us and had two children, you could have at least put one in our care. People give their children to the Jedi so they can help the galaxy, not because they don't love them."

"You don't have to be a Jedi to help the galaxy," Anakin pointed out. "Besides, I don't owe the Order my children. Things don't work like that."

"I didn't say you owed the Order your children. Don't twist my words. I just don't see why you needed both, why you didn't even consider letting them become Jedi. Once upon a time, even you wanted to be one."

" _Needed_ both? What do you think my children are, speeder parts? It's not as if I had an extra one, and therefore should be expected to share. As for the Jedi, what I wanted to be isn't what they are. I wanted to help people, to bring justice. I didn't realize that entailed never feeling anything for anyone. If Luke wants to do what a Jedi does, I'll show him how. But I won't deny him love, or fun, or the chance to get angry. He'll be a human first, and then a Jedi, not the other way around."

"Being human can lead you to the dark side. Emotions are dangerous."

Anakin sighed. " _That_ is exactly what I don't want my children to learn."

"It's true. And you know you're not allowed to teach them anything you learned from the Jedi."

"Are you going to send an observer to Naboo to stop me?"

"Possibly. When you left us behind, you left _everything_ behind. You just don't get to come to the Temple, learn how to move things with the Force, and just _quit_."

"You make it sound like I had some plan to betray you all." Anakin paused, thinking. "Besides, it's safer the twins know how to use the Force than if they were ignorant. Who knows what they could do without thinking?"

"Not much. The Force is something you use consciously, and you know that."

"It's still better this way. They'll be better for it."

"Not trained by _you_ , they won't." Obi-Wan's voice was harder than Anakin could ever recall hearing.

"Why not?"

"You understand fighting, but you don't understand the ways of the Force. You lack self-control. You shouldn't be training anyone. And neither should I have, when you came into my care."

Anakin was stunned to hear Obi-Wan admit that. For all that he hadn't understood Obi-Wan during the early days of his training, he hadn't thought Obi-Wan was at fault.

"Well, do you have a better idea?"

"If you don't want them to be Jedi, then let them be what they will. Trust the Force to guide them. Let Leia become the Queen of Naboo. Let Luke become a pilot. There is no middle road. The middle road _is_ the dark side. Spend a year stuck in the trenches and you'd understand that better."

"They'll become whatever _they_ want. Jedi or not. I'm not making them do anything. I'm just giving them a chance."

"You're giving them the wrong chance. You're opening paths for them that not even you understand. Can't you see that?"

"What wrong chance?"

"It's over. They'll never be Jedi, in any incarnation. They're too old. They're your children, and you made your decision. Regardless of whether I agree with it, we all have to live with it. So let them be children, and stop trying to make them half of a Jedi, or whatever strange idea you have in your head about what a Jedi should be. You have to understand us before you can make changes."

"I'm not trying to make them anything. The only people who can do that are them."

"You're _teaching_ them how to use the Force, aren't you?"

"Only when they ask. If they ask."

"Then stop doing it. You can't teach what you don't understand. That's why you came out like you did. I didn't understand, either, not then." Obi-Wan's tone was melancholy now. "I thought I could teach you as well as Yoda, but I was wrong."

Anakin put his arm around Obi-Wan again. "You did well enough. I would let you teach them, if you didn't want to take them away."

"I didn't do well enough, Anakin. Don't patronize me. I'm forty-two. I don't need my ego stroked. And I can't teach them anything right now. Not only do I have my obligations to the Order, but I'm in the middle of a war. If this fails to kill Dooku -- or me -- then I'm still going to be quite busy."

"I'm not patronizing you. I think you taught me well. You might not, but I do."

"You don't have any basis for comparison. I taught you the mechanics well enough, I suppose. But how to hold a lightsaber or moving a rock with the Force is insignificant to understanding it, to be able to feel it on all levels."

"Teach me now."

Obi-Wan snorted. "Not only do you have a serious head wound at the moment, Anakin, but you're not a Jedi any longer." He rolled back over, and Anakin felt Obi-Wan's arms go around him once more. Obi-Wan pressed his cheek to Anakin's, holding him close.

"It's cold," Obi-Wan murmured. "Just trying to keep us warm."

Anakin just tightened his own grip on Obi-Wan.

"When you stop trying to control it, you'll understand it. There are certain things you can't compromise on, but the Force itself is compromise. If you let it control you, you can control it. Don't think, just feel, Anakin. You'll feel it."

Anakin nodded against Obi-Wan's cheek. There was no way he could begin to try what Obi-Wan wanted at the moment, but later, he could see.

They lay against each other, now quiet, not quite at peace, but content. Anakin fell asleep breathing in the scent of Obi-Wan's hair.

 

_To be continued…_


	6. Chapter 5

To Anakin's relief, when he came out of the bacta tank, he felt almost normal.

"It'll scar," said Stass with a frown, handing Anakin a small mirror. He had a star-shaped mark on his left temple, half-hidden by his hairline. "But it's not too bad."

Anakin gingerly traced the scar. It still hurt a bit, and if he moved too quickly, he got dizzy. He had worse scars on his body, but none on his face. He frowned and put the mirror down. Stass was bent over a severely injured clone trooper, injecting him with pain medication. She straightened and turned back to Anakin.

"Is he going to be all right?" asked Anakin.

Stass nodded. "Probably. He'll be put in a bacta tank as soon as another one comes available. We've got clones in every single one. Most of them were from my expedition." She shook her head. "We never saw it coming. The dark side clouds our vision even more than usual lately."

"Is Zett okay?" asked Anakin.

Stass glanced up at the huge platform crowded with bacta tanks in the center of the white-walled infirmary. "He will be. He's due out in a couple hours."

Anakin nodded, feeling slightly guilty. He never meant for anyone to get hurt helping him find his children, much less a young boy. "Do you know where Obi-Wan is?"

"The bridge, I think. Probably in the communications center. He said he needed to check a source again for our next lead."

Anakin nodded his thanks to Stass and fled the infirmary before he could feel even more guilty. He hoped no one had died while waiting for the bacta tank he had occupied.

Moving slowly, he made his way to the bridge. He rounded the corner that separated the main bridge from the comm center. He paused in the doorway, seeing that Obi-Wan was deeply engaged in conversation with someone on the holocomm.

"Well, Yavin IV was a trap, and Hoth almost got us all killed. The way I see it, Asajj, you still owe me."

"Owe you?" came the harsh reply. "You're such a sanctimonious prick, Kenobi. I don't owe you anything."

"Might I remind you that Dooku would have been more than happy to remove you of your hairless head if I hadn't come and rescued you?"

"You should have done your _duty_ and killed Dooku while you had the chance."

Obi-Wan's voice suddenly went soft. "So you'd really have preferred I let you die?"

There was silence, and then: "That's attachment, isn't it? Doesn't your Code demand that you leave me behind to do what you needed to do?"

"I'll worry about my Code. You worry about how I could blow the little smuggling operation you've built for yourself."

"How dare you? I don't owe you _anything_ , you bastard. You destroyed my lightsabers. Tell me that wasn't petty revenge because I told you that we shouldn't --"

"You're not a Jedi. Only Jedi may have lightsabers. I merely prevented you from breaking the law anymore than you already do. It had nothing to do with... us."

"That's rancorshit, and you know it."

"Look, Asajj," Obi-Wan paused, his voice softening even more. Anakin had to strain to hear him. "I'm not asking you for much. I'm just asking if you know where Dooku or even Grievous might be. If you ever felt anything for me, then please. Help me. If for nothing else but to prevent Dooku from making one of those children his new apprentice."

Asajj was silent for so long that Anakin thought she might have ended the holotransmission. Before he could walk in, however, Asajj finally spoke.

"It's just a rumor -- nothing confirmed, mind you -- amongst the smugglers. Grievous has set-up base at a mining facility called Cloud City. It's over Bespin. It's all I know, I swear. I don't want anything to do with the Separatists. Like you are, they're part of my past."

"Thank you." Obi-Wan sounded so heartfelt. He'd changed more than Anakin had thought.

"You're _not_ welcome." Anakin peered around the corner, and caught a glimpse of Asajj's face on the holoscreen. Her expression was of restrained sorrow. "Just take care of yourself, Kenobi."

"I --" Before Obi-Wan could finish, the transmission cut out, and he was left alone in the communications center. Anakin couldn't see his face, but he sagged back in the chair, his hand over his face, the only sound that of his breathing.

Anakin entered the room quietly, but purposely made enough noise that Obi-Wan would know he was there. He put his left hand on the back of Obi-Wan's neck and rubbed.

Obi-Wan pulled away a little, looking annoyed. His face was dry, but it took him a moment to cover up the sadness in his expression. "I have a possible lead for Grievous. He might lead us to Dooku, so we're going to Bespin to check it out. I'll let Commander Ackbar know in a moment," he said, his tone business-like.

"You loved her a little, didn't you?" Anakin's question was soft and not at all demanding.

Obi-Wan stared at the now-blank holoscreen. "With all due respect, my relationship with Asajj is none of your business."

"You seemed so sad when she cut you off. I'm sorry she hurt you."

"Anakin, please stop it. I don't want to discuss it. It's part of the past."

Anakin shrugged. "It's hurting you now. I just want to help."

Obi-Wan looked away, then looked back. He stared at Anakin's scar. "Feeling better?" he asked.

Anakin allowed the change of subject. He'd bother Obi-Wan about it later. "Mostly. I get dizzy if I move too fast, but that's it."

"Good." Obi-Wan stood up. "I'll go tell the Commander about our new destination. It should take us at least a couple of days to get there."

Anakin moved aside so Obi-Wan could get to the door. "It'll give me some time to recover and work on my combat skills. Do you want to work on hand-to-hand later?"

Obi-Wan considered him for a moment before answering. "All right." He left without saying anything else, but seemed less... _tense_.

 

 

 

Anakin was already in the gym when Obi-Wan arrived half an hour later. He had been working out to warm his muscles, and his thin undertunic and pants clung to his sweaty body. He felt much steadier on his feet than he had earlier. He waved to Obi-Wan. "Ready to get pinned?" he asked.

Obi-Wan gave him a guarded look. "Shouldn't we be practicing on your lightsaber technique, my former apprentice?" he asked, smooth-faced.

"I was. But you promised me hand-to-hand." Anakin grinned.

"I did." Obi-Wan looked away, shedding his outer robe. "Head feeling better?"

"Yes," Anakin said. "How are you?"

"Fine." Obi-Wan kept his gaze on the floor. He took off his utility belt and his boots, then started working on his multiple tunics. "The Commander informs me we'll be at Bespin in less than 48 hours."

Anakin stepped closer to Obi-Wan, reaching out hesitantly. "Want some help?"

Obi-Wan pulled away, his hand movements jerky as he pulled off the first beige tunic. "I think I can undress myself, Anakin." He tilted his head to the mat. "I'll be there in a moment." Off came another beige tunic. If Anakin had to guess, Obi-Wan wore _at least_ eight tunics.

Anakin stepped back to wait. Obi-Wan was acting like a skittish grethecat again. Hopefully he'd get over that, or their sparring would be pretty pointless.

Obi-Wan stripped down to his undertunic. He was thinner than he seemed fully dressed, with a compact musculature. His arms were white as snow, and he'd picked up a few new scars since Anakin had last seen him. He stepped to his side of the mat and bowed to signify the start of practice.

Anakin bowed back and moved forward across the mat, trying to assess Obi-Wan's strengths and weaknesses. He was a bit out of practice, but he still knew what to look for. He opened himself to the Force, using it to anticipate Obi-Wan's actions.

Obi-Wan merely walked in a circle at the edge of the mat, not looking at Anakin. He was tense, but his attention was not on Anakin, but on where he was walking.

Anakin approached Obi-Wan suspiciously. He had memories of his childhood of incidents where Obi-Wan pretended not to be paying attention, only to reprimand Anakin later for things he had pretended not to notice.

Anakin waited for Obi-Wan's back to be fully toward him before attempting a heel jab. Obi-Wan shifted out of the way, moving so fluidly it seemed he merely meant to avoid a misstep. He responded with a round kick Anakin only barely managed to duck under.

As Anakin ducked, he struck out at Obi-Wan's other knee. The strike didn't connect, but Anakin did manage to block Obi-Wan's follow up punch at his kidney.

It felt like old times again, and yet it didn't. It was the same dance full of ducks and misses, blocks and guards. A game they'd played half a million times during Anakin's adolescence. Now there was something else beneath, an undercurrent of the changes of their lives, the changes in how they felt for each other.

Kicks and blows were avoided or blocked, hands and feet quickly torn away before they could be used in a counter-attack. They hardly touched, and they did not speak. There was only the sound of their breathing, the gleam of sweat pouring down Obi-Wan's face and neck, soaking his undertunic, the breath of air that came with each missed strike.

An opportunity came eventually, as it always did, but this time it was in Anakin's favor. Obi-Wan had stepped out during a left hook, his legs exposed. Anakin twisted to avoid the blow, falling to the mat and sweeping his legs across the back of Obi-Wan's, knocking Obi-Wan on top of him.

Anakin immediately shifted his weight so he could roll and pin Obi-Wan to the mat, but Obi-Wan knew what was coming and braced for it. Anakin wound up bucking uselessly in Obi-Wan's grip. He could feel every inch of Obi-Wan pressed to him, and his body reacted involuntarily. It had been so long since he had been this close to anyone, much less someone he was attracted to. The scent of Obi-Wan's sweat just added to Anakin's arousal. His cock was hard now, and pressed against Obi-Wan's hip.

Obi-Wan froze and stared down at him, his eyes wide and full of an intensity he rarely displayed. His mouth was slightly open, and his auburn hair hung in his face. He rocked his hips against Anakin, almost thoughtfully.

Anakin made a choked sound in his throat. It had been four years since anything but his own hand had touched his cock, and now it felt like his entire body was on fire, because he was so attuned to Obi-Wan's movements against him. He stared at Obi-Wan's mouth and licked his lips before craning his neck just enough to kiss Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan suddenly jerked his head away and sprung to his feet. "This is insane," he muttered.

Anakin got up and tackled Obi-Wan, pinning him to the mat. Anakin was still hard, and he could feel Obi-Wan starting to get hard, too. "It is not. I want to have sex with you," Anakin whispered into Obi-Wan's neck before licking his way up to Obi-Wan's ear.

Obi-Wan's breathing quickened. "You drive me mad." He broke Anakin's hold and rolled over. Once Anakin's back hit the mat, he stood up again. He wiped hair out of his face. "If we are, I'm certainly not going to do it here, right in public."

Anakin got up, smirking. "That's fine. Your room? The bed's bigger."

"You... I didn't say we _were_."

"You didn't say we _weren't_."

Obi-Wan's grabbed Anakin's wrist before Anakin could touch him. He tilted his head to whisper in Anakin's ear. "There are consequences and complications that will arise from giving into that. I just want to make that clear. I don't want regrets or late misgivings."

"I'm not going to regret this."

Obi-Wan let Anakin go and moved away. He quickly dressed, managing to hide his erection in his voluminous outer robe, and left the gym without looking back. Anakin followed, copying Obi-Wan's trick of hiding his erection behind his robes.

When they got to Obi-Wan's room, the door slid open with a soft hiss. Obi-Wan walked through the doorway, then stepped aside to let Anakin inside. Anakin made a move for the chairs, but the dizzying sensation of being grabbed by his tunic and tugged backwards made him flail. He was shoved into the wall a second later, Obi-Wan pressed against him, hot and hard.

"No regrets?" Obi-Wan asked, licking the shell of Anakin's ear.

Anakin's breath was ragged and his heart-rate had skyrocketed. He was very turned on and more than a little surprised at Obi-Wan's behavior.

"No," Anakin said, breathlessly.

"Good," Obi-Wan murmured, moving to capture Anakin's mouth. Anakin kissed back, sliding his tongue against Obi-Wan's. The feel of Obi-Wan's hands making short work of the ties on Anakin's trousers was maddening. Anakin wasn't sure how Obi-Wan managed it, as tightly pressed as their bodies were.

Anakin managed to shake himself out of his reverie after a second and slide his hands over Obi-Wan's back. He was even bold enough to grab Obi-Wan's ass for a moment. He licked Obi-Wan's teeth, trying to learn Obi-Wan's mouth.

Anakin had the odd experience of cloth giving way to bare skin under his hands as Obi-Wan pushed his trousers down. Obi-Wan then did something Anakin had never seen him do before in his entire life. He spit on his hand, then reached down to coat Anakin's cock with it, his fingers strangely gentle.

Anakin couldn't help but push into Obi-Wan's hand. "Feels good," he whispered. He moved his own hand so he could stroke Obi-Wan's cock. It was strange, having in it is hand, but also familiar. He rubbed the slit, testing for a reaction.

Obi-Wan half-moaned and exhaled. "It's supposed to." He held his hand under Anakin's chin, meeting his gaze. "Spit."

Anakin did so, still a little surprised by the change in Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan rubbed his own cock with Anakin's spit, still staring into Anakin's eyes. Then he was all over Anakin again, lips pressed against Anakin's jaw, beard scratching Anakin's face, bare cock brushing against Anakin's. Anakin gasped just as Obi-Wan bucked his hips against Anakin's, sending bolts of electric pleasure up through Anakin's abdomen, spreading heat throughout his entire body.

Anakin hadn't realized this could feel so good. He clutched at Obi-Wan's hip, making little breathy noises. Obi-Wan made a noise in the back of his throat, not quite a growl, rocking into Anakin hard enough to bang his head into the back of the wall. Cock rubbed against cock, the sensation leaving Anakin gasping. Anakin had never seen Obi-Wan act like this; the polite gentility he always displayed seemed stripped away. Had the war done this? Was he always like this during sex? Or was it just Anakin?

Anakin pulled Obi-Wan closer to him, wanting to take in as much as Obi-Wan's uncharacteristic wildness as possible. As if to remind Anakin of who he really was, Anakin felt light fingers trail across his cheek. While every other part of Obi-Wan seemed on edge, the fingers on Anakin's cheek were soft and gentle.

"Always so beautiful," Obi-Wan murmured into Anakin's ear.

"So are you," Anakin moaned. He was so close now, his body demanding release. The smell, the feel, the sheer presence of Obi-Wan was driving Anakin to distraction just as much as the rubbing as their cocks were. "Wanted you."

Anakin captured Obi-Wan's mouth for one more searing kiss before coming over both their bellies. It was the most intense orgasm he'd had in a very long time.

Obi-Wan came few moments later, muscles tensing under Anakin's hands. He pressed Anakin against the wall so hard Anakin _knew_ he'd bruise.

Anakin panted. "That was incredible."

Obi-Wan pulled away, smiling. He ran a finger over Anakin's belly, catching the mixture of their come, and licked it off his finger. "Yes," he said, gaze smoky. "Now we both need showers."

Anakin groaned a little at the sight of Obi-Wan licking his finger. He caught Obi-Wan's wrist and pulled. "Is your shower big enough for two?"

Obi-Wan twisted out of Anakin's grip and pulled him close, tilting his head back to study his face. "Doesn't matter. We'll fit." He turned and started leading Anakin to 'fresher, pulling off articles of clothing as he walked.

Anakin was enjoying this dominant side of Obi-Wan. It was different from the more controlled Obi-Wan that Anakin was used to. This Obi-Wan took what he wanted and didn't apologize. Anakin dropped his tunic on the floor and walked into the 'fresher. The shower was already running, and Obi-Wan was naked. Anakin gave into temptation and ran his hands over Obi-Wan's bare skin.

Obi-Wan shivered a little under Anakin's hands, then raised the temperature of the water. He pulled Anakin close, pressing his face against Anakin's. "I suppose, in some regards, I should be grateful you left," he murmured, then pulled back. He took some soap from the dispenser, then started lathering Anakin's chest with it, his touch light and gentle.

"Mmm, why?" Anakin asked. He gripped Obi-Wan's hips lightly, fingers tracing over the skin.

"I wouldn't be doing this if you were still a Jedi." Obi-Wan didn't meet Anakin's gaze. He kept his concentration on washing Anakin, massaging soap in with enough skill to make Anakin consider how often and with whom he'd done this before.

A brief pang of loss went through Anakin, but he pushed it aside. "We wouldn't be here if I were still a Jedi," Anakin said.

"Almost makes you wonder where we'd be. A better place? Or worse?" Obi-Wan asked. He moved slowly, fingers splayed over Anakin's belly as he lathered more soap on him.

"I don't know," Anakin said, trying to imagine it. Would he still have married Padmé? Would he still have had his children? "Probably worse."

"Possibly." Obi-Wan cupped Anakin's face with both hands, stretching up to press his forehead to Anakin's. His voice was soft as he spoke, almost inaudible. "I don't think I'd like to trade this moment, in any case."

Anakin leaned forward and kissed Obi-Wan softly. "Neither would I." Anakin held Obi-Wan close to him for a long moment, stroking his back.

Once they were done washing each other, Obi-Wan gave a short laugh, shaking his head back under the stream of hot water. He smiled. "This is not quite what I'd expected," he sighed.

"What did you expect?" Anakin asked, intrigued.

"Not entirely sure." Obi-Wan ran his fingers through his wet hair. Water droplets clung to his eyelashes. "With you? Something hard and fast."

"We could still do that," Anakin said with a smile. Then he got serious again. "I'm not always like that. Especially not with people I love."

Obi-Wan turned his face and moved to rinse off under the water stream. When he moved back out, he ran his fingers across Anakin's cheek. "Rinse off, and let's get some rest. We can have more fun later. I'm an old man, and I need naps in between."

Anakin was both hurt and relieved Obi-Wan had not said anything about his admission. He wanted Obi-Wan to feel the same about him, but he also feared Obi-Wan would reject him all together. "A nap sounds nice," Anakin said, rinsing off. "Dare I ask what you plan for later?"

Obi-Wan opened up the door to the small shower, steam rolling out with him as he walked. He grabbed two towels off the rack and threw one at Anakin as he came out. Obi-Wan rubbed the towel over his hair, watching Anakin intently. "Perhaps something a little more substantial, if you're willing."

Anakin thought for a moment while he dried his hair. He trusted Obi-Wan not to hurt him, no matter what and he didn't think Obi-Wan would ever do anything he didn't agree to. "Yes," he said, drying his chest.

Obi-Wan slid his towel over his and legs and smiled. "Good. We'll talk more later. We've got free time until we reach Bespin, and I would like to spend part of that time sleeping."

Anakin smiled back, and climbed into Obi-Wan's bed. He waited for Obi-Wan to join him, then wrapped his arms around him. "Sleep well."

Obi-Wan seemed a bit startled to have Anakin wrap his arms around him, but relaxed after a moment. He pulled the sheets over both of them and settled against Anakin. "I should sleep warmly, if nothing else," he said.

Anakin smiled against Obi-Wan's skin. He slept peacefully for once, not plagued by dreams of Padmé dying or the twins in danger.

 

 

 

Anakin woke with Obi-Wan warm and heavy in his arms. He kissed Obi-Wan's forehead. Obi-Wan shifted a little, sighing and moving closer to Anakin. His eyelashes fluttered, but he didn't wake.

Anakin kissed him again, this time on the lips. "Time to wake up, old man."

Obi-Wan woke after a moment and pulled away to stretch. "What time is it?" he asked.

"No idea," Anakin said. "Does it matter?" They had ample time before they reached Bespin.

"Maybe. I'm hungry."

"Do you need to eat right now?"

Obi-Wan eyed him. He stroked Anakin's long hair, tucking it behind his ear. "I suppose I could wait."

Anakin whispered in Obi-Wan's ear. "I'm sure there are other things we could do instead."

Anakin had never noticed how intent Obi-Wan's eyes were before. He had a half-lidded, almost dark look to them. A slight smile played on lips. He whispered, "Would you let me inside you?"

Anakin took in a deep breath and swallowed. That was -- Obi-Wan wanted to -- Anakin was a little overwhelmed. He hadn't thought of that. And yet this was Obi-Wan. It would be all right. "Yes," he whispered, his voice all but gone.

"I'll be gentle," Obi-Wan whispered, seeming to pick up on Anakin's hesitation. "I have a Lindua ointment that will help you relax. It disappears on contact and lasts for half an hour. It won't hurt much if I use it."

"I trust you," Anakin said. "I know you'll be gentle." He forced himself to relax, loosening tense muscles.

"Let me go find it. And some lubricant." Obi-Wan went to the small storage cabinet by his bed and started rummaging through it.

Anakin sat on the bed, watching Obi-Wan search for the ointment. The butterflies in his stomach reminded him of his wedding night, and he wondered if this was how Padmé felt before they'd made love for the first time.

Obi-Wan returned after a moment, clutching two tubes in his hand. He dropped onto the bed by Anakin and pulled him close. "Sure you want to do this? I could find something else just as fun for us to do."

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Lie down on your back, then." Obi-Wan moved with him.

Anakin lay down, his gaze never leaving Obi-Wan's face.

Obi-Wan smiled. "You have to relax." He stroked Anakin's cock.

Anakin focused on breathing. His cock hardened under Obi-Wan's hand, and slowly, his body relaxed. Obi-Wan batted Anakin's thighs apart and moved between them. Anakin trembled a little, but Obi-Wan stroked his thighs before pulling back. He grabbed one of the tubes of ointment and squeezed some of the clear liquid onto his fingers.

"I'm just going to use one finger for now. It will feel strange, and the ointment will tingle. It takes a few minutes, but soaks through into your muscles, to relax them. Are you okay with that?" he asked softly.

"Yes."

Obi-Wan's expression full of a gentle sort of intensity. He bent over Anakin, his gaze fixed on Anakin's face. Anakin felt fingers trail along the curve of his ass, urging him upwards.

The feel of Obi-Wan's fingers slipping into the cleft of his ass, gently coating the area with the cool ointment, made Anakin gasp. There was a strangle tingle on his skin, like the muscle-relaxing ointments Anakin had been given for his back and shoulders after lightsaber practice long ago.

Obi-Wan's finger brushed along Anakin's entrance, making him nearly jump. He waited for Anakin to still, spreading more ointment. "Ready?"

Anakin took a deep breath and nodded. He concentrated on relaxing as Obi-Wan pressed a finger to his entrance and pushed in. The feeling was odd, like an invasion, but Anakin didn't mention it. He just tried to relax around Obi-Wan's finger as it pushed in further. The tingle of the ointment continued inside, which was the oddest feeling.

"All right?" asked Obi-Wan, tracing circles on Anakin's belly with his free hand. He looked concerned.

"Yeah," Anakin says. "Just feels strange, is all."

"It will. But there is something to make it all worth it..." Obi-Wan's finger twisted inside him, and he seemed to be pressing against something, not just spreading ointment. Anakin winced and scooted back a little bit. It was all a bit much.

"What are you doing?" Anakin asked. It was strange enough to have Obi-Wan's fingers _there_ , much less poking around.

Obi-Wan pressed his hand on Anakin's belly, not to prevent him from moving, but to still him. "Trying to excite your prostate. You should feel it in just a moment."

Sparks of reluctant pleasure shot through Anakin's abdomen. "Oh," he said, suddenly understanding.

Obi-Wan pressed against it again. "Do you like it?" he whispered. He had a look on his face that suggested Anakin's answer was important.

"Yes," Anakin breathed. It had been a shock at first, but now the feeling was going straight to his cock.

"Good." Obi-Wan slipped his finger out and lay next to Anakin, pulling him closer. "Have to wait a few moments for the ointment to set, since _I_ don't need the muscle relaxant."

Obi-Wan kissed Anakin on the neck, then slid down a little, trailing kisses across Anakin's collarbone and chest until he reached a nipple. He nipped once at it, then sucked, tongue pressed firmly against the sensitive flesh.

Anakin arched into Obi-Wan's mouth. "Unh," he said, shivering in pleasure.

Obi-Wan pulled back, licking Anakin's nipple firmly, before pressing him back. He sucked on the left nipple with the same relish.

Anakin was beginning to feel if his skin were supersensitive. Everything Obi-Wan did felt so good. He surprised himself by looking forward to Obi-Wan pressing into him again.

Obi-Wan licked Anakin's left nipple as well, before abandoning Anakin's chest altogether. He slid down Anakin's body, kissing his way down his stomach and abdomen, then suddenly lowered his mouth to Anakin's cock. He licked the tip, then blew softly on the wet spot.

Anakin inhaled sharply and bucked his hips. "Obi-Wan," he cried. His mind was slowly melting under the onslaught of Obi-Wan's mouth.

Obi-Wan shifted his hands to grab Anakin's ass, clutching onto him as he took Anakin's cock into his mouth, sucking gently, before pulling away. He tilted his head as he sat up, hair sliding across his face, his eyes as vibrant as ever. "Ready?"

"Yes," Anakin said. He was trembling again, but this time it wasn't from nerves. "Go ahead."

Obi-Wan grabbed the other tube he'd brought to the bed. He squeezed out a blue gel onto his fingers that smelled a bit like methia. He tapped Anakin's thighs apart and knelt between them. Anakin tried to keep his breathing even, wanting Obi-Wan to touch something again soon. Obi-Wan helped him slide his backside up, then he felt the strange pressure of Obi-Wan's finger pressing against his entrance again, the cool of the lubrication a bit startling.

It was easier this time, because his muscles were more relaxed and he knew what to expect. When Obi-Wan began pushing in, Anakin actually pushed back. He wanted Obi-Wan inside him now, and the pleasure of Obi-Wan's touch on his prostate.

"Easy," Obi-Wan whispered, rubbing Anakin's belly. After a moment, he slid in a second finger, then paused. "Tell me if it's too much."

Now there was pressure, but no pain. The muscle relaxant had done its job. "It's fine," Anakin said. "It doesn't hurt."

"Good." Obi-Wan slowly separated his fingers, stretching Anakin. He kept his gazed fixed on Anakin's face, as before, stroking his belly. "Almost ready," he said.

Anakin closed his eyes as his muscles stretched. His cock had softened a little as Obi-Wan prepared him, but he trusted that Obi-Wan would make this good for him. Obi-Wan was not the type to use someone for his own pleasure.

Obi-Wan's fingers slid out. Anakin opened his eyes to find Obi-Wan leaning over him. Anakin realized with a lurch in his stomach that Obi-Wan was positioning himself to enter Anakin.

"I'll ask again, are you sure this is okay?" whispered Obi-Wan. "It's all right if it isn’t."

Anakin gathered up his courage. "Yes. Do it."

"Don't be afraid, and try to keep relaxed. If you need me stop, tell me. Don't hide anything." Obi-Wan stroked his face once before gripping his hip again. "I'll go slow."

There was the briefest sensation of Obi-Wan's cock pressing against entrance, and then the gut-twisting sensation of him pushing inside Anakin. As prepared as he was, it still hurt, a searing sort of pain that made Anakin twist back against the mattress, feet pedaling uselessly against the sheets.

"Give me a second," Anakin said, breathing hard. He needed time to get used to the adjustment Obi-Wan's cock was forcing on his body.

Obi-Wan froze, his breath ragged. He massaged Anakin's hip with one hand and stroked Anakin's hair with the other. "Take all the time you need."

Anakin forced himself to relax. The pain was fading into pressure now, and he felt better. Obi-Wan felt so large inside him. Anakin swore he could feel every wrinkle on Obi-Wan's cock. "You can move. Just be careful."

Obi-Wan thrust against him gently, abandoning Anakin's hips to bend over him, propped up by his elbows. He stroked Anakin's hair, his breath warm on Anakin's lips. "Of course I'll be careful with you, Anakin," he said, sounding offended. He buried his face in Anakin's shoulder, mouthing his skin. His hips slid against Anakin's backside as he moved, slow and methodic.

Now that he had adjusted to the feel of Obi-Wan's cock within him, Anakin could concentrate on the sensation of Obi-Wan moving. The slide of Obi-Wan's cock was starting to feel good as it rubbed the delicate tissue of his prostate.

Anakin ran his hands over Obi-Wan's shoulders, encouraging him. Obi-Wan turned his head so he was breathing against Anakin's neck. He tangled his fingers in Anakin's hair, holding him close. The affection warmed Anakin as much as anything else Obi-Wan was doing.

The friction against his prostate finally paid off – Anakin whimpered in pleasure. "There," he breathed. "There."

A puff of air hit Anakin's neck as Obi-Wan exhaled, and Anakin felt him shift to be more comfortable. Obi-Wan moved fluidly now, the feel of his cock riding against Anakin's spot firm and controlled. Anakin was so attuned to the intensity that the slide of Obi-Wan's wet tongue along the side of his cheek startled him.

Anakin turned his face to kiss Obi-Wan, sliding his tongue against Obi-Wan's. His cock was hardening again where it was trapped between their bodies. Though Obi-Wan never stopped moving, he slid his hand down to Anakin's cock and wrapped his fingers around it. He started stroking it in time to his thrusts. In, _up_. Out, _down_.

Obi-Wan abandoned Anakin's hair to clutch Anakin's flesh hand, threading his fingers through Anakin's. Anakin clutched back, his grip tight. "More," Anakin found himself whispering. "Want you."

Obi-Wan actually moaned at that, rocking harder into Anakin, pinning him down. His grip on Anakin's cock was painfully tight, moving as quickly as his hips. He was shuddering a bit, and Anakin could sense Obi-Wan was very close.

Anakin pushed against Obi-Wan. He was getting close, too, but he wanted Obi-Wan to come first. "Come," Anakin said. "Come, Obi-Wan."

The noise Obi-Wan made sound half a moan, half a cry. He shuddered and slammed against Anakin as he came. Pleasure and heat radiated off his flesh through both the Force and the physical world, but he didn't stop moving.

It was strange, feeling Obi-Wan's come fill him, but Anakin ignored it. The pleasure of Obi-Wan's cock against his spot and Obi-Wan's hand on his cock blurred all other sensations. "So close," he breathed.

Obi-Wan kept thrusting, full of desperate energy, his hand sliding over Anakin's cock tightly, belly rubbing against him.

Anakin groaned loudly and came with a shudder all over Obi-Wan's stomach. "Kriffin' hell," Anakin said with wonder when he could speak again. "I didn't know it would feel like that."

Obi-Wan slowly pulled out of Anakin, leaving him again with that strange sense of loss. The loss was quickly negated when Obi-Wan stretched out next to Anakin, wrapping his arms around him.

"Did it hurt much?" he whispered, brushing hair out of Anakin's face.

"Only at first," Anakin said. "Then it started to feel good."

Obi-Wan ran his fingers down Anakin's face. "Good."

Anakin held Obi-Wan close. "Thank you."

An odd expression passed over Obi-Wan's face, too brief to be properly examined. "No, thank you." He smiled. "Now, can we get some sleep?"

"I thought you were hungry," Anakin teased.

Obi-Wan smiled. "I am. But you wore me out. I need another nap."

"All right," Anakin said. He moved so Obi-Wan could pillow his head on his chest. "I love you," he whispered.

Obi-Wan fell very quiet. His only answer to Anakin's declaration was to stroke Anakin's chest, smoothing down his skin.

Anakin closed his eyes and tried to drift off to sleep. His breathing slowed, and he started to doze. He heard Obi-Wan sigh and hold him closely, his breath warm on Anakin's skin.

 

_To be continued…_


	7. Chapter 6

Once they arrived at Bespin, Anakin headed down to the _Jilted Star_ 's space deck. A familiar astromech blocked his way before he got there. Artoo rocked and whistled loudly, explaining his distress, but Anakin held fast.

In truth, Artoo had a point. Anakin had been ignoring him this entire trip, but for a good reason. Obi-Wan was quite time-consuming. It was difficult to explain this to Artoo, who didn't even understand human reproduction, much less the niceties of human relationships.

"I'm sorry, Artoo, but it's dangerous down there. I don't see any need for a droid. Obi-Wan and I will check it out, and if something comes up, I'll let you know. Until then, stay on the ship. Watch over Stass and Zett."

Acknowledging the command, Artoo whistled low, still indicating his displeasure with being left behind. Anakin patted him on his blue-domed head and smiled. Artoo had been taking care of him since he was nine in some fashion or another, and he didn't want to get Artoo in any more trouble.

Anakin headed into the space deck and for the small two-seat ship Obi-Wan was sitting in. Anakin walked up next to it and grinned, leaning against the smooth yellow side. "Can I fly?"

"Only if you promise not to show off," Obi-Wan said.

"I promise."

Obi-Wan nodded and climbed into the backseat, a rare sign of acquiescence. Or perhaps a newfound sign of trust. Anakin beamed at him and hopped into the pilot's seat. He pressed a few buttons to get the hatch lowered and the pressure contained. As soon as the Deckmaster cleared them for take-off, Anakin rocketed into space.

"Who runs Bespin?" he asked as he headed towards the orange-pink gas giant below them.

"There's a Baron Administrator, but he doesn't have much to do. It's just a small mining colony."

As they entered the atmosphere, Anakin was swept away by the beautiful scenery. Bespin looked like it was in permanent sunset, with gold-lined clouds surrounding them. He flew toward Cloud City, the center of the planet's civilization. It was small and half-built, with a few aircraft moving from the city to the lower strata of Bespin.

"It's lovely," Obi-Wan murmured. "They should have a leisure colony here."

"They probably would if it wasn't so out of the way."

Anakin landed on one of the platforms. It was extremely windy; his and Obi-Wan's cloaks whipped about their legs as they climbed out of their spacecraft. As the mining operation was still in construction, nobody met them.

"So, what do we do?" Anakin asked, his long hair slapping against his mouth as he spoke. He eyed the sprawling, half-formed city. It looked like a durasteel maze floating in the sky.

"We split up. I'll take the west side, you take east."

A little nervous about being separated, Anakin nodded. "All right. May the Force be with you."

"And you." Obi-Wan bowed and hurried down the platform, his arms swinging loose by his side.

Anakin already missed him.

 

 

 

People minded their own business in this small city in the clouds, working feverishly to complete its construction. Anakin could see smugglers, bounty hunters, and spice dealers in the lounges by the platforms. Obviously, this was an out-of-the-way haven for the less reputable beings of the galaxy. That explained why Bespin wasn't being exploited as a tourist attraction, despite its beauty.

Anakin continued to navigate the durasteel hallways, letting the Force guide him to anyone or anything that might have a clue where General Grievous was. He was quickly distracted by paneling on the wall that indicated the presence of high-voltage lines that powered the Tibanna gas processing plant, which in turn powered the hovering devices.

Anakin examined the power tubing with great interest as he followed the cords down more industrial hallways. According to the design, the people here were getting one-hundred-and-fifty percent more power output than most. He could work with that design, improve it, maybe get two-hundred percent.

As he entered the carbon-freezing chamber, Anakin was learning how to process Tibanna gas and increase power, simply by examining the mechanisms used. This was ingenious. He wanted to find the being who designed this and talk to them, pick their brain apart. Despite the dark room, with its polished floors and ribbed lighting panels, Anakin could see almost everything in the carbon-freezing chamber perfectly.

An unfamiliar metallic wheeze drew Anakin's attention. He heard the pump of durasteel pistons. He was confused; Tibanna gas didn't produce such noise. He followed the noise to the center of the chamber and stared inside the carbon-freezing unit.

General Grievous stared back.

Anakin jumped up. Grievous wheezed and jumped to the upper level, metal feet clanging on the floor. His beady yellows eyes peering through his durasteel faceplate to stare at Anakin. There was a moment of stillness as the two enemies faced each other, sizing the other up.

Despite Grievous's size, and the fact that he was almost all durasteel, Anakin couldn't resist saying, "General Grievous. You're shorter than I expected."

"Skywalker," Grievous intoned, whipping out a sparking electrostaff from under his cape, "You're younger than I expected."

Anakin pulled out his borrowed lightsaber. He leapt at Grievous. "Where are my children?" he demanded.

Grievous dodged Anakin's attack, parrying with his electrostaff. Anakin's blow went wild, and his lightsaber slammed into the floor. It left black scorch marks on the polished durasteel. Grievous was already running towards the door. Two MagnaGuards, his imposing droid bodyguards, moved to face him.

"Oh, no you don't!" Anakin cried. He sliced through the MagnaGuards before they had a chance to get their guards up, leaving a pile of smoking wreckage behind him. "We have unfinished business.”

Grievous kept running. He swept his electrostaff through power cords and tubes. Knowing they would slow him down, Anakin used the Force to guide him through the obstacles in his way.

Grievous was one of the few links to his children's whereabouts, and Anakin wasn't going to let him get away. The only problem was that Grievous didn't feel like cooperating with him.

"Come back here, you coward!" Anakin screamed, running full tilted through the hallways. There was nothing like a lit lightsaber to clear a path. People kept well away from its glowing green blade, pressing themselves to walls as Anakin ran past.

Grievous was fast for such a large bucket of bolts. He dashed onto a platform, chortling. A ship rose into the air, waiting for him. Before Anakin could reach him, Grievous leapt onto the open ramp and turned around. Though he had no mouth, Anakin swore he could see him smirking. Grievous tossed a holodisplayer onto the platform in front of Anakin's feet just before his ship rocketed away at top speed.

Frustration coursing through his veins like poison, Anakin toed the holodisplayer. A small blue image of Count Dooku appeared, as imperious as ever.

"The week was up some time ago, but you made contacting you very difficult, Skywalker. I see you've chosen the side of the Jedi. That was a very poor choice. I'm afraid you'll never see your children again now." He smiled coldly. "I'm sure at least the girl will make a fine Sith apprentice. The boy, well… I have no use for him. I may be forced to dispose of him soon. This is your own fault, Skywalker. I gave you a chance to get them back."

The transmission cut out.

Anakin's blood turned to ice. It was unthinkable. If his children died…

To his surprise, Obi-Wan climbed over the side of the platform and wiped his brow. He smiled. "Don't worry, Anakin. I got a tracking device on Grievous's ship. We'll find your children in no time."

Anakin sunk to his knees, overwhelmed with too many emotions to speak.

 

 

 

The moment they stepped onto the _Jilted Star_ 's bridge, Obi-Wan went right to work, ordering clones to track General Grievous's ship. Clones bustled to their stations, their consoles lighting up like the Coruscant skyline. Obi-Wan headed for Commander Ackbar, and they were soon in a deep conversation, while Stass and Zett stood with Anakin. It struck Anakin as ironic that it would be Obi-Wan and his cleverness that would find his children.

But it would be Anakin who rescued them.

Ackbar nodded and walked away to give orders to the crew, his stride as crisp as his uniform. Obi-Wan approached Anakin and the two Jedi, his brow furrowed. "We'll be able to overtake the _Invisible Hand_ , if indeed that's where Grievous is going, sometime tonight. We're pretty confident that was his destination. I was able to sneak onboard his ship and see the pre-programmed codes before I slipped the tracking device on it."

Anakin looked directly at Obi-Wan. "I'm going to get them," he said.

Obi-Wan nodded. "I'm going, too." He inclined his head at Stass and Zett. "I'm the best lightsaber duelist on this ship. You two need to be in charge of the space battle."

Stass bowed. "We will."

Anakin kept his gaze fixed on Obi-Wan. "In that case, we should spar a little." He paused for a second. "Do you have schematics for the _Invisible Hand_?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, but Commander Ackbar is familiar with the type of ship it is, and he will draw us up a schematic for it." He paused. "We'll have to split up, to cover more ground."

Anakin nodded. "Make sure I get those plans as soon as possible, so I can figure out the best routes for us." Anakin's mind was laser-focused on the challenge before him. "We should go practice while we wait."

"We will. Head on to the gym. I'll meet you there -- I need to talk to Stass and Zett first."

Anakin nodded again and left the bridge. He could stretch while he waited for Obi-Wan. He would need to be well-prepared for the upcoming battle. There weren't many clones in the gym when he arrived, which was just as well. He stripped his tunics off and began his katas, moving more strongly and more fluidly than he could recall doing in a long time.

Anakin was halfway through his second kata when Obi-Wan appeared, already shedding clothing as he strode across the gym's deck. He looked troubled and lost in thought.

Anakin completed the movement he was working on and shut down his lightsaber. "What is it?" he asked.

Obi-Wan shook his head and grabbed his own lightsaber, holding it out to his side. "Are you ready for this, Anakin? For Dooku? Because he'll be ready for you."

"I don't know. That's why I wanted you here. To make me ready."

"I don't like us being split up when we get there, but we have no choice -- I doubt he'll keep the twins in the same location."

"Probably not," Anakin agreed. "They don't behave as well when they're separated, which Dooku probably thinks is a good thing." Under his breath, Anakin added, "I hope Leia kicked him good and hard."

Obi-Wan turned on his lightsaber. "I'm sure she did, if she's anything like you."

Anakin ignited his own lightsaber and settled into guard position. "She bites, too."

"Anakin, I... if you need me, don't hesitate to comm me."

The emotion in Obi-Wan's voice was like a punch in the gut for Anakin. He doubted anyone else would have noticed the slight tremble and the momentary slip of Obi-Wan's composure, but he had lived with Obi-Wan for ten years. He knew how to read him.

Obi-Wan cared about him. Not just cared, but was frightened for him. Like it would hurt Obi-Wan greatly if anything happened to Anakin. Anakin took a deep breath as he absorbed this.

"I'll comm you. I promise. But... don't get yourself killed for me."

Obi-Wan shook his head, breaking eye contact. He looked slightly ashamed. "I have no intention of dying. I'll simply do my duty."

"I know," Anakin said. "Now let's spar."

Obi-Wan nodded and took a classic attack position. They moved together, attacking and defending, becoming a single being once more as they fought, finding a unification few others could understand, all through the Force.

Anakin refused to be defeated by Dooku this time.

 

 

 

The _Invisible Hand_ loomed before them in the glittering black expanse of space. Anakin counted at least twenty Republic cruisers and thirty Separatist destroyers before the _Jilted Star_ tilted to the right, maneuvering through an open space to get closer to the _Invisible Hand_. Commander Ackbar sat in the commanding officer's chair, giving out orders as he studied the screen in front of him. Anakin had never seen any being so efficient outside of the Jedi Order. His respect for the Mon Calamari went up several notches.

"General, it's time," Ackbar croaked. "We will be in prime position for your insertion in fifteen minutes."

"Acknowledged, Commander," said Obi-Wan. "May the Force be with you."

Ackbar looked out at the battlefield of space, where deadly laser and ion beams crossed in brilliant explosions of light and blinked. "May the Force be with us all."

"This is it," Obi-Wan said, nodding to Stass. She nodded back and ushered Zett out. Anakin followed Obi-Wan at a light jog until they reached the space deck. His stomach twisted with dread.

Anakin silently climbed into his starfighter. As he buckled himself in and ran the pre-flight checks, he glanced at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan was staring at him, only to turn away like a schoolboy when Anakin saw him. Anakin sighed. This could go wrong in so many ways, and it all depended on him alone.

And his ability to live up to his destiny.

"Master Qui-Gon, Padmé… I know you're both still somehow out there, so please watch over my children. And Obi-Wan," Anakin whispered.

The forcefield went down, and starfighters began to stream out, their weapons firing as soon as they left the safety of the _Jilted Star_. Anakin watched as Stass and Zett went left to direct the space battle, while he and Obi-Wan headed towards the huge _Invisible Hand_.

Not even the beautiful nothing of space could calm Anakin. His stomach was twisted in knots. He focused his attention on breaking through to the _Invisible Hand_. Obi-Wan flew with him, wingtip to wingtip, in perfect synchronization. The closeness comforted him a little; Obi-Wan would be there. Obi-Wan would help him find his children.

The _Invisible Hand_ grew nearer.

 

 

 

Obi-Wan's damaged starfighter slid into the cargo bay so fast it left a trail of sparks behind on the durasteel. Anakin flew in gracefully and landed beside him just as the forcefield closed behind them. He anxiously watching as the frosted-over hatch popped open. Taking a deep sigh of relief as Obi-Wan leapt out with his blue lightsaber flashing at the approaching battle droids, Anakin did the same.

Artoo popped out beside Anakin, rolling behind him as Anakin cut his way through the entire group of battle droids between him and Obi-Wan.

"Here!" Obi-Wan said, pointing to a terminal socket. "Artoo, confirm the locations."

Artoo beeped in affirmation and wheeled himself into place by the computer terminal. After extending an arm and talking to the computer briefly, he displayed a blue holoimage of the same schematic of the _Invisible Hand_ that clone intelligence had provided.

"It's confirmed. Luke is with Grievous on the bridge, and Leia with Dooku in the General's quarters." Obi-Wan paused, staring at Anakin over the rotating blue hologram between them. "We both know where we need to go."

Anakin's eyes stung, and it was hard to breathe for just a moment. Fear coursed through him, but he couldn't let it control him. Not here, not now.

"I love you," he whispered, unable to give the simple well-wishing of a Jedi. He leaned forward and grabbed Obi-Wan, kissing him fiercely.

Obi-Wan looked stunned for just a moment before he recovered his composure. He looked away. "May the Force be with you," he said in a strange voice, and headed towards one of the lifts, his cloak fluttering him.

Stung but not surprised by Obi-Wan's failure to reciprocate his feelings, Anakin followed, crossing the metal floor of the cargo bay with a heavy heart. He pushed the rejection out of his mind. Luke and Leia needed him to stay focused.

They needed _him_.

 

_To be continued…_


	8. Chapter 7

The General's quarters of the _Invisible Hand_ were quiet and dark. Anakin edged inside through the broken lift door, walking as carefully as he could. Not that it would matter at this point – he'd been attacked by several battle droids on the way up there.

Panoramic windows gave a perfect view of the space battle coming to a close outside. The Republic forces were overcoming their opponents, despite being outnumbered. The Jedi present in the battle had given them that much of an edge. Anakin didn't spare the view much of a glance, though it reminded him that Obi-Wan was elsewhere on this ship, fighting his own battle.

Anakin froze as the shadows of a corner started to move, and then…

"DADD--!"

His daughter's voice was cut short as a gloved hand clapped over her mouth. Anakin stared into his daughter's wide brown eyes, using the Force to sense if she was hurt. He relaxed a little when he realized she was perfectly fine but for the Sith Lord holding onto her.

"No further, Skywalker," said Count Dooku, standing as straight as holding onto Leia would allow him. He turned on his lightsaber with his free hand, the blood red blade sliding out with an ominous hum. On either side of him, two well-armed MagnaGuards walked out, holding their electrostaffs. "I don't want to have to hurt the girl."

"You touch a hair on her head, and I'll rip out your intestines through your urethra and hang you with them."

Dooku sneered. "Now, now, don't be so crude. We are in the presence of a child. A child whose life is in my hand." He tightened his grip as Leia struggled against his arm. "I was going to be reasonable and return the children, but then you joined with the Jedi, and it's led us to this. You could still walk away. I have no quarrel with you."

"But I have one with you," Anakin spat, moving closer. The green blade hummed a little louder as he waved it in front of him, gesturing at the approaching MagnaGuards.

"You're not the Chosen One, Anakin. My old apprentice, Qui-Gon Jinn, was a mistaken fool when he took you from Tatooine, and the Jedi Council even greater fools for believing him. Go home, boy, or I will kill you."

Leia suddenly stopped struggling, staring at Anakin with a strange look in her eyes. Anakin tried to send her as much comfort as he could in the Force, though his anger burned inside of him at seeing her in danger.

"Give me the girl, and maybe I won't kill you. Maybe Master Qui-Gon was right, and you're wrong. Ever think of that?" A MagnaGuard moved too close, and Anakin swept his blade through its neck. It twitched until he cut it in two. The other began to approach.

"I will kill her!" Dooku threatened. He opened his mouth as if to say something else, but instead, he cried out in pain.

Leia had bit him, apparently quite hard. Dooku let her go, and then backhanded her so hard her little body went flying and landed in a small heap of black cloth and long brown hair.

Fury burst through Anakin's veins, filling him with so much hate and anger that he thought he might explode. He rushed forward, cutting through the remaining MagnaGuard in two fierce swipes of his blade.

Dooku's blade arced up to block his assault, clashing like fearsome thunderclap. A smell much like burnt air filled Anakin's nostrils. Anakin snarled, unable to find words to express his rage.

Dooku started moving, forcing Anakin back with quick, powerful blows. All Anakin saw was Dooku's dark eyes through the light of their lightsabers. They were the eyes of a dead man, as far as Anakin was concerned.

Anakin broke off from Dooku's attack, avoiding a blow meant for his midsection. He spun and feinted, jabbing at Dooku's thigh. The blow was blocked, and Anakin's hand nearly slipped from the sweat on his palm.

"You can't win, boy." Dooku flicked his wrist, and the scaffolding above Leia collapsed.

Anakin screamed without words and summoned the Force to keep the metal flooring from crushing his daughter's tiny body. The Force dripped off him like sweat, and he dared not blink for losing his concentration. He was vaguely aware of Dooku rushing him, but did not turn until he was able to move the scaffolding to the side.

Ice filled his veins, cold as a Hoth winter. Anakin brought his lightsaber just in time to block a thrust to the heart. With a shoulder-aching twist, Anakin wrenched free from Dooku's grip. He cut his blade right through Dooku's right forearm.

The old man screamed, and Anakin smiled. As Dooku fell to his knees, Anakin took off his left arm at the elbow. Dooku's lightsaber spun up in the air, and Anakin caught it.

Closing in on the kill, Anakin held his blades to Dooku's neck like he would a scissor. All he had to do now was kill him and end it all. Then _he_ could take Dooku's place, and command the armies to –

"Daddy? Daddy, what's wrong? Please stop it."

Leia's voice cut through Anakin like a vibroblade. He hesitated, flicking his gaze in her direction. She stood at his side, a red patch blooming across her cheek, her tiny hands reaching up to him. "Please, Daddy. I want to go home. Just leave him alone. He's a mean old man. Let's go home."

Anakin backed off from Dooku, horrified at the realization of what he'd almost done. Dooku fell onto his side, holding out his severed limbs, his body twitching in shock. He would die anyway, but it was better than what had almost happened. If it weren't for Leia…

Shaking the thought from his head, Anakin turned off the two lightsabers and hung them off his belt. He reached down and grabbed Leia, pulling her small body close to his.

"Are you all right, baby?" he whispered.

"Yes, Daddy," she cried. "I am now. I found you! I finally found you!"

"Found me…?"

"You're the Chosen One! I went out looking for you to save the galaxy, but I didn't know you were you. I'm so glad you came. I was scared."

"So was I. So was I." Not quite understanding what Leia meant, Anakin licked his lips and remembered the twins' uncanny ability to find each other through the Force. "Leia, I need you to find your brother. I need to find Luke – and General Kenobi."

"General Kenobi? He's here?"

Anakin nodded. "Yes. He's my old Master – he trained me in the Force, and he's my… good friend. We have to find them."

Leia closed her eyes, and Anakin could feel her power through the Force. Separately, Luke and Leia were weaker than he was in the Force, but together, they were even more powerful than he.

"This way," Leia said after a few moments. She tugged on his hand.

Anakin followed his daughter without hesitation. As they hurried along the metal hallways, klaxons began to blare. He hoped with all his being that Luke and Obi-Wan were all right. He'd already lost one person he loved more than life itself, and he wasn't sure if he could stand to lose another.

Leia clutched Anakin tightly as they made their way through the _Invisible Hand_. Most of the ship's crew seemed to have fled already, and they encountered no one. The klaxons grew more urgent. He rounded the final corner and got in the lift that would take him to Obi-Wan and Luke.

The lift seemed to go to slow as Anakin and Leia rode up to the bridge. She confirmed Luke and Obi-Wan were still there and still alive – but then, Anakin would know if his son and his lover had died. When the lift door finally opened, Anakin burst out with two lightsabers in his hand, prepared to save Obi-Wan and Luke.

Only to watch Obi-Wan jab an electrostaff through General Grievous's gaping chest covering. Grievous gave a horrific electronic scream as his organs -- all that remained of his original body -- caught fire. He shook and screamed until fire burst from his eye sockets, and he fell back, still twitching.

Obi-Wan fell to his knees, his right arm hanging limply at his side. Sweat dripped down his face. Anakin ran towards him, watching with relief as Luke came out from behind a computer terminal.

"What took you?" Obi-Wan asked. He didn't wait for an answer. "Grievous set off the emergency self-destruct before I managed to stop him. We don't have much time to get off the ship."

Anakin called up the ship's schematics from his memory. "We can't make it back to the hanger bay in time, but there's an escape pod about halfway between here and there."

Obi-Wan nodded. "We'll make for that."

Luke looked up at Anakin, his eyes filled with worry. "But what about Threepio?"

Anakin reached over and tousled his hair. "I don't know." He pulled the commlink off his belt. "Artoo?" A high pitched warble answered him. "We're heading for the escape pods on level 35A. Meet us there. If you can send a message to Threepio, tell him to come too." There was an affirmative beep.

"Let's go," Anakin said, taking the lead.

 

 

 

The trip back to Coruscant went by quickly. Anakin spent most of it talking to his children, making sure they weren't damaged in ways unseen. Aside from being scared, they'd been treated fairly well by Dooku – he'd apparently wanted to make an apprentice out of one of them, and had spent his time testing them through mindgames to pick one. As clever as Luke and Leia were, very little of it had worked. Even so, they slept with Anakin every night on the return trip, plagued by nightmares.

Obi-Wan kept his distance, though Anakin couldn't tell if it was because he was busy, shy, or desperate to get away from Leia's obvious adulation. Anakin was so occupied with the twins that he hardly got to speak with them.

Clone casualties had been at a minimum. Both Stass and Zett tended to the wounded and checked over Luke and Leia's progress. Judging by the autonomy Stass gave him, Zett was well on his way to becoming a great Jedi healer. Stass bore a fresh scar on her neck; Zett had managed to save her starfighter from exploding with a daring roll in front of enemy fire.

Once they arrived back at Coruscant, Anakin was expected to meet with the Jedi Council. It was strange, being back in the Temple, with Luke and Leia by his side. Leia was quiet, staring up at the Temple's mammoth architecture, but Luke could not stop talking. "Daddy, did you see that Jedi? He was a Gand! Daddy, when I'm a Jedi, do I have to get my hair cut, too? Can I have a lightsaber? A real one? Please?"

"Shh," Anakin said. "You have to be quiet in the Temple."

Luke quieted down, looking at the Jedi around him with awe. He didn't seem to notice that they were looking back at him with curiosity. Anakin was acutely aware of it. Everyone knew he had defeated Dooku and ended the war with Obi-Wan's help, and they stared because he had fulfilled his destiny. They also stared because they knew Luke and Leia were his children, a concept alien to most of them – at least those without Padawans.

They reached the elevator to the Council spire. As they rode to the top, Leia asked, "Are we really going to meet the Jedi Council, Daddy?"

"Yes, you will, but you'll have to be on your very best behavior. That means you, too, Luke. No asking the Council members lots of questions, you understand?"

Luke nodded. "I promise."

The liftbell chimed, and the family stepped out. Anakin was even more nervous than he had been the last time he was here. What would the Council say when they actually saw his children? Zett stood outside with the all the other Council member's Padawans, and he flashed a grin at Anakin and the children. Anakin managed a smile back, while Luke and Leia waved.

The doors to the Council chamber opened, and Anakin stepped inside, Luke and Leia following him. He gathered them close, as if he could protect them from the Council's intense scrutiny. Stass offered him a smile from her seat.

"Returned you have, young Skywalker," Yoda began. "And with other young Skywalkers, I see."

Luke made a face at the way Yoda was speaking, but Leia elbowed him.

"You've fulfilled your destiny at last," Mace Windu put in, his dark face full of satisfaction. "The Force is now in balance."

Anakin shook his head. "I was just trying to save my children."

"Have planned, what future for your family now?" Yoda asked. "Return to the Order you may, if wish it you do."

Anakin's voice was firm. "No. My place is on Naboo, with my children."

"Jedi, your children could become. Great destinies could they have."

"I've had enough of destinies."

"I want to be a Jedi!" Luke blurted out. Anakin looked down at him, feeling like his heart was breaking again.

"Luke," Anakin began, only to be cut off by Mace Windu.

"If you truly wish to be a Jedi, you could become one, Luke."

Anakin's eyes hardened. "What if I said no?"

It was Obi-Wan who answered. "Then the Council would respect your decision."

Leia turned to Luke. "You can't be a Jedi, stupidhead! You promised! You said you wouldn't go away like Mommy did!"

Luke's lower lip trembled. "They won't make me go away." He turned to the Council, his voice small and uncertain. "You won't make me go away?"

"If a Jedi you are become, stay at the Temple you must."

Anakin knelt down to Luke's level. "Luke, if you stay at the Temple, you won't be allowed to talk to Leia and I for a very long time. Jedi aren't allowed to have any contact with their families."

Luke's lower lip began to tremble. "I can't talk to Leia?"

"No. Not until you're all grown up."

Obi-Wan spoke again. "Consider your decision carefully, Luke. The path of the Jedi is hard, and you are very old to be entering the Temple. It will be hard for you to adjust to this life, and you will not have your father or your sister to help you."

Luke looked very uncertain now. "Daddy?" he said. "Should I be a Jedi?"

Anakin sighed. "I don't think so. You'll be happier with me and Leia."

"Okay. I'll stay with you." Luke wiped at his face, his gaze darting from Anakin to Obi-Wan and back.

Anakin hugged Luke tightly. Then he let go and stood up. "If we're finished here…?" he said to the Council.

"Dismissed you are," Yoda replied, sounding dissatisfied.

But no more dissatisfied than Anakin was to walk out of the Council room without Obi-Wan at his side.

 

 

 

Obi-Wan walked with them to the end of the Temple's landing platform. Anakin knew he didn't have to, but he also knew that Obi-Wan preferred showing his emotions only if he was in complete privacy. And the only place in or around the Temple he could have a private talk with Anakin was out here.

Anakin quickly loaded the twins into the small shuttle they were borrowing for the trip to Naboo and returned to where Obi-Wan was waiting. The sun was setting over the jagged horizon of Coruscant, marred only by the small figures of passing speeders.

"Are you sure you can't come to Naboo with us?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan kept his gaze on the children as they settled into the shuttle. "Very sure, Anakin. I'm sorry, but my place is here. I'm a Jedi."

"You could be something else," Anakin said, reaching out to touch Obi-Wan's hand. "You could be yourself. Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan's fingers curled around Anakin's for just a moment before withdrawing. "Do you remember what I told you so long ago? This is a commitment not lightly broken. I can't leave, Anakin. Not even for you."

Anakin stepped closer to Obi-Wan, putting his hands on Obi-Wan's hips. His forehead touched Obi-Wan's. "I love you. And I'll be waiting for you. Whenever you come."

"I... can't, Anakin. I'm so sorry." Obi-Wan pulled away, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed. "I can't."

Anakin pulled him close and kissed him before letting him go. "I'm sorry, too."

Obi-Wan licked his lips, glancing at the children. Luke and Leia had very wide eyes and were watching Anakin and Obi-Wan with interest. "Have a safe travel home, Anakin. Take care of your children. They're both very special -- I can tell."

"Goodbye," Anakin whispered, walking up the shuttle's ramp.

When he glanced behind him, Obi-Wan lifted a hand in farewell, then walked away, his robe swishing around his legs as a light breeze blew by. Anakin was leaving a piece of his heart behind, and there was nothing he could do about it.

He wondered if Obi-Wan had ever loved him, even a little.

 

_To be concluded…_


	9. Epilogue

"Once upon a time, there was a Squire who was apprenticed under one of the greatest Priests in all the galaxy. The Priest and the Squire didn't always get along, but they grew to be good friends.

"Then one day, the Squire met a beautiful Queen whom he loved very much. Now, he loved the Priest just as much and almost for as long, but he thought the Priest loved his job more. So the Squire and the Queen went faraway to be married and have beautiful little children – a Prince and a Princess."

"But, Daddy, you always said you were a Knight and—"

"Hush, Leia, I'm telling the story. Now, the Squire became a Knight after he married the Queen. After the wicked and deceptive Chancellor..." Anakin had to pause and gather strength to tell that part of the story. Padmé's loss would never stop hurting.

"Daddy, what's 'deceptive' mean?"

"It means he's a liar, Luke. Now, after the wicked and deceptive Chancellor killed the Queen and left the Knight all alone with his two children, the Knight devoted his life to them. But the Prince and Princess were very naughty, and one day the Princess decided to find a magical sword to save the galaxy from the evil Count who was waging war on it."

"I'm sorry, Daddy."

"I know. It's all right now. But the evil Count found the Prince and Princess before the Knight could take them home, and they stayed in his impenetrable fortress that moved across the galaxy. The Knight despaired, for he loved his children more than life itself, but then the Sheriff came along and brought him to the Knights of the Round Room."

"I thought it was more like an oval…"

"It doesn't matter, Luke. Now, of these great Knights was the Priest who had once been the Knight's teacher. He was very unhappy with the Knight because he'd married the Queen and left the Priest all alone. But even though he was angry, the Priest was a good man and went on a quest with the Knight to find the Prince and Princess.

"The quest was long and hard, and along the way they met a Witch, who had once been in the love with the Priest. But the Priest couldn't stay with her, so he left after she helped give him information on where the Count's fortress was. The Knight and the Priest became friends again, and loved each other as more than brothers.

"They finally found the evil Count after many adventures and trials, and stormed the fortress with their soldiers. The Priest saved the Prince from the monstrous Warlord, while the Knight saved the Princess from the evil Count in a fierce duel. The Princess realized the magic sword she'd gone looking for had always belonged to her father, and she saved the Knight from becoming just like the evil Count. Then they found the Priest and the Prince and ran away."

"Then what happened, Daddy?" Luke prompted. His eyes drooped and he was nearly asleep. So was Leia.

Anakin swallowed. The fairy tales were getting harder and harder to tell, but the twins liked them so much…

"After the war ended, the Priest and the Knight went their separate ways, never to see each other again."

"Now that," said a very familiar voice, "isn't quite true."

Anakin's heart leapt, and he turned to see Obi-Wan standing in the doorway. He wanted to get up and kiss him for a very long time, but Luke and Leia wouldn't understand, so he stayed where he was.

"Hello," he said, smiling.

Luke was not so composed. "Master Obi-Wan!" he shouted. He leapt out of bed and hugged Obi-Wan.

Leia followed, but at a more dignified pace. She paused by Obi-Wan's legs and grinned up at him. "Hello, Master Kenobi," she said with her best manners.

"Hello, children," he said gently, and patted them on their backs. "We can talk tomorrow. I didn't mean to interrupt your bedtime."

Luke turned to Anakin. "Daddy? Do we have to go to bed? I want to talk to Master Obi-Wan."

"Yes, Luke. You can talk to him in the morning.

Reluctantly, Luke pulled away from Obi-Wan and climbed into bed. Leia did the same.

Obi-Wan smiled at the children until Anakin tucked them in, politely waiting by the door. When Anakin approached him, he said, "I hope you don't mind that I let myself in."

Anakin shut the doors to the twins' room. He pushed Obi-Wan against the wall. "I really don't," he said, and kissed Obi-Wan deeply.

Obi-Wan made a few pathetic "mmph" noises before giving up and kissing back. Anakin's jaw hurt from the effort of kissing by the time Obi-Wan pushed him away. Obi-Wan ran his tongue over his lips and then smiled. "We need to talk."

Anakin sighed. "There are other things I'd rather be doing."

"I'm sure, but this is important. Perhaps we could do this more privately, since small ears are listening," Obi-Wan said, glancing at the door. There were small gasps and then a pitter patter of little feet, presumably heading back to bed.

Anakin took Obi-Wan's hand. He couldn't get enough of touching Obi-Wan, of knowing he was actually here. "My bedroom's this way."

"Perhaps we could go to your kitchen for a drink. There are things I need to say."

Anakin lead him to the kitchen. "How strong do you want it?"

"Fair to middling."

Anakin got a glass and filled it with ice from his dispenser. He pulled a bottle of kori flower cordial out of a high cabinet. "Sorry, this is the best I've got."

Obi-Wan nodded. He took the glass and sipped at it genteelly until Anakin sat down across from him. He set the glass down and spoke.

"I'm not here for you, Anakin. I want to make that clear. You may be... a benefit, but you're not my assignment."

Anakin felt like Obi-Wan had stabbed him. "Why are you here?"

Obi-Wan stared at his drink. "I am here, if you allow it, to help you guide your children. The Council is concerned about their upbringing and their potential in the Force -- especially when together. I volunteered to come here and help give advice and guide them through the Force -- not necessarily train them, but guide them. This, however, can only be done with your permission. I'll receive a stipend from the Council -- my services will be free of charge, of course."

Anakin looked at the floor. He wasn't sure whether to be angry or hurt. "I... I don't know if I want you here, if that is reason." His voice hardened "If you're just here for my children, you can leave right now."

"That is why I am here as far as the Jedi Council is concerned. But it was not... my sole reason for volunteering." Obi-Wan didn't move.

Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan. His temper was flaring, but he kept his voice low. "No. You knew you could get 'benefits' out of the deal."

"That's not what I meant," Obi-Wan snapped, his eyes flashing as he looked up.

"Then what did you mean?"

"I mean that I am a Jedi, Anakin. I can't stop being a Jedi, not even for you. No matter how I feel."

Anakin was undone by the last word. He took a deep breath and asked, "What do you feel?"

Obi-Wan took another sip of the flower cordial and licked his lips again. "I feel an attachment, and I always have. But I know I can control the attachment, even if I don't particularly want to live without it."

Though Obi-Wan spoke with typical Jedi obscurity, Anakin knew what Obi-Wan meant. He walked over and embraced Obi-Wan. "I don't want to live without you, either."

Obi-Wan stroked Anakin's back. "Master Qui-Gon always said that to be attached is inevitable. It is controlling those attachments that matters. I understand what he meant now." Obi-Wan held out the lightsaber Anakin had been using. "I think Qui-Gon would have been honored that the Chosen One wielded his lightsaber to achieve his destiny."

Anakin blinked and widened his eyes. "That was his lightsaber?"

Obi-Wan handed it to Anakin. "Of course. I gave it to you on purpose."

"Why?"

"In my experience, there's no such thing as luck. But --" Obi-Wan smiled. "-- it doesn't hurt to give it a chance."

Anakin grinned. "I love you."

"I know."

 

 

 

Leia sat on a bench in Amidala Park with her grandmother, Jobal, next to her. It was a beautiful park, full of the color and vibrancy Leia associated with the pictures of her mother. The park had once been a sad place, but since the war was over, it seemed happier, much like everything else in Leia's life. The sadness in the galaxy was gone, and soon, her nightmares would follow.

Daddy and Master Kenobi were sitting together with their eyes closed. They did that sometimes. Luke had tried it once, but he had gotten bored and decided to pretend to be a fighter pilot instead. That's what he was doing now -- sitting in the white flowers, making zooming noises.

Leia turned back to Jobal. "Do you like Master Kenobi?" Jobal asked.

Leia nodded. "He's nice. He likes me. And he makes Daddy happy."

Jobal blinked. "He does?"

"Daddy isn't sad anymore. He smiles more, and he doesn't look at pictures of Mommy all the time. He talks to Master Kenobi a lot, and they do exercises together." Leia leaned close to Jobal's ear and whispered. "And sometimes, Daddy kisses Master Kenobi."

Jobal had a strange look at on her face. She looked at Daddy and Master Kenobi. "I thought Master Kenobi was your teacher."

Leia beamed. "He teaches us stuff. Some of the stuff Daddy already told us, but Master Kenobi knows a lot more than Daddy. I think he's smarter, but don't tell Daddy I said that."

Jobal still looked odd. "Do he and your daddy kiss a lot?"

"Only when they think me and Luke can't see them. Daddy touches Master Kenobi a lot, but Master Kenobi just sighs."

"I should come visit you soon."

Leia smiled. "I can show you the new datapad Master Kenobi got me! It has all these datachips about the Senate."

"That sounds very interesting."

"I'm going to go play now." She got up and ran for the swings. The park was so much fun.

As she sat down on the warm swing seat, she noticed Jobal talking to Anakin and Master Kenobi. Daddy was nodding, but Master Kenobi had turned pink and was looking at Leia. After a few moments, Jobal walked away, shaking her head. Daddy was laughing at Master Kenobi now, who looked as indignant as a Senator with a ripped gown. Leia laughed at him, too, and kicked at the dirt to start the swing.

As she flew back into the air, she remembered something Master Kenobi had told her last week.

_You only live happily ever after if you work at it._

 

_The End._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fanart for the story by [hl_lover](http://hl-lover.livejournal.com/) of the Skywalker family, may be found [here](http://imadra-blue.livejournal.com/286280.html).


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